Reaper's Shadow
by Shadowzamy
Summary: After being orphaned at birth, Hao was raised as an assassin. Over the years, he's been known for being able to complete his mission without leaving a single trace, yet difficult to hire. One day, a woman comes to him with a request to take out the Asakura family, a task easier said than done. Turns out, the only way to get them all together is to make the heir 'disappear'. HaoxYoh
1. The Midnight Journal

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

WARNINGS: Torture, Murder, Gore, Yaoi, Incest, and possibly more later...

XXXX

**The Midnight Journal**

Tuesday, Jun 14, xxxx

Murder of Jane Rose Discovered

On the night of Jun 12, at approximately 9:30 pm, Jane Rose was found dead in her living-room holding a cup of poisoned wine. Despite constant arguments with the detectives, relatives insist that it could not have been suicide. They say that though Miss Jane has always been known to be fairly secluded and depressed, she was on the final pages of her most resent book and she would never leave a work unfinished. Police are currently investigating anyone who might have had a grudge against Miss Jane, although, Mr Harkon is currently considered a prime suspect in this case. If you have any information on the matter, please contact the police at...

XXXX

Yoh frowned as he folded the newspaper and placed it back on the elegant coffee table before him. The Midnight Journal was one of the few newspapers that he'd actually read. Unlike the other newspapers, which would post random gossip and lies to get attention, The Midnight Journal published articles backed up by true facts. They would post what no one else dared, articles which challenged the darker side of the city.

Although, this particular article struck a cord with Yoh, it was the first time he'd read something relating to someone he knew. Jane had been a dear friend to the Asakura family for the last decade. She may have been a bit gloomy at times, but she was still a nice lady. Back when he was younger and his parents were always gone on meetings, she was his babysitter.

To hear that she'd died, been murdered even, was unthinkable. As far as he knew, she'd never had any enemies, at least none that would want her dead anyway. Mr Harkon was her ex boyfriend, but even he'd never held ill will towards her to that extent. The most he would have done to her was pay another newspaper to write something trashy about her books.

"Yoh! Are you reading that damn newspaper again?" Mikihisa called.

"Yes. Why didn't you tell me that Jane-obasan was killed?" Yoh said sadly.

"This is exactly why I don't want you to read that thing. I knew it would upset you, so I was hoping to wait a bit until the drama died down before telling you. But anyway, they're already searching for the killer and there's nothing you can do to help, unfortunately. Just leave this to the adults, ok?" Mikihisa asked hopefully.

"Fine." Yoh said reluctantly.

Yoh sighed as he watched his father leave the room. His parents were probably going to another meeting in a bit, something he'd start being forced to do soon. In the eyes of the country he was already considered an adult, but his family still treated him like he was five. In a way, he didn't mind it. Being left out of all those boring meetings for nobles wasn't something he looked forward too. On the other hand, he didn't like being so sheltered.

Every noble family had it's dark secrets. The problem was, he didn't know exactly what his family's secret was. It could be anything from an unnatural obsession to something highly illegal. He hoped that it was just some weird obsession with cats or some other thing. Perhaps the basement was some kind of cat paradise which would freak out any normal person.

Well, it wasn't like he could learn about it anyway. His family refused to tell him until he was, and he quotes, mature enough to understand. He was certainly old enough, but his parents said he still acted like a child. One of his friends, Ren Tao, was about 8 months younger than him, but he knew his family's secret. The Tao's had a weird habit of stuffing their dead family members and turning them into corpse statues.

Yoh considered this a bit disturbing, but hey, who was he to judge? It's not like what they were doing was hurting anyone, they just wanted to keep the memories of their ancestors alive... so to speak. Though Ren had agreed with him that it was weird and they never mentioned it when others were around. Neither of them really wanted to think about what would happen when Ren eventually passed on.

"Yoh! You're friends are here!" Keiko called from the first floor.

A smile formed on Yoh's lips as he raced downstairs to greet his friends. Ren, Horohoro, Joco, and Lyserg were all waiting at the door for him. Ren and Horohoro seemed to be caught up in another argument while Lyserg was trying to explain the fundamentals of humor to Joco. It always made him happy when his friends came to visit, it was one of the rare times when the house didn't seem so empty. Before he could go greet his friends, however, he was stopped by his parents.

"Yoh, I can assume you already know that the two of us will be going out this evening, correct?" Mikihisa said in his usual commanding tone.

"Yes." Yoh replied.

"Well, we'll be gone for three days this time. Unfortunately, Amidamaru is looking after his sick friend and Ryu is at a chef's meeting until next week. There are still plenty of servants in the house to keep you company, but it's far too dangerous for you to leave. I want your word that you will not leave this house until we get back. Do you understand?" Mikihisa commanded.

"Yes, Tou-san." Yoh said quietly.

Mikihisa nodded in approval before quickly walking out the door.

"Have a good time dear. Be safe!" Keiko called before running after her husband.

Everyone gave a friendly wave goodbye to the couple as the door slammed shut behind them, leaving the five of them to themselves. Yoh smiled at his friends before heading to third floor balcony, where they usually went to talk. The balcony was one of the few places in the house that seemed so open and peaceful. Most of the house was bland and stuffy in the 'overly wealthy' kind of way. The balcony was the only difference.

The railing surrounding it was simple, black, and sturdy with morning glory vines climbing up the mid length bars. The balcony itself was the size of a small house, but looked more like a garden. Lush green grass grew on the ground where normal pavement should have been. For the longest time it had made Yoh wonder if there really was pavement beneath, or a large slab of earth held up by a large metal tile and sturdy beams. Later in his life, he had learned that the second option was actually correct.

There were several bushes of black roses scattered across the garden along with several other plants. White lilies grew around the railing, making an especially lovely view in the morning when the morning glories were in bloom. Violets decorated the grass like glitter, if looked at from an imaginative angle, they almost looked like little violet stars on the ground.

In the middle of the balcony was a sakura tree. His mother once told him that the tree was put there as a symbol of their clan. Tied to one of the branches was a simple rope swing. Resting next to to the tree on the opposite side of the swing was a small white rose bush. Yoh often enjoyed resting his back against the tree and taking a nap in the garden. It was one of his favorite pass times.

"You know, this place always seems so simply pleasant no matter how many times I see it." Lyserg said thoughtfully.

"You should see the fuki fields where I live, they're pretty awesome too." Horohoro said.

"I'll bet." Yoh said with a smile

"So, are all of you going to be attending the king's dance this weekend?" Joco asked suddenly.

"You say it like it's an actual question. Of course we'll be going, unless one of us suddenly has a death wish." Ren said irritably.

"Huh? What do you mean? I thought it was optional." Horohoro said.

"No, it's _circumstantially_ optional. Meaning that there are some circumstances where you're allowed to skip it, but for the most part all current heads of noble families and their heirs are required to go. If you skip it without one of those circumstances, you'll be executed. King Marco and princess Jeanne don't like it when people skip their parties without good reason." Lyserg replied.

"What are these circumstances exactly?" Joco asked curiously.

"The birth of an heir, a greatly ill heir or head of family, kidnapping, or death. Any other reason for missing it will result in execution or torture." Ren replied.

"That's harsh." Joco said.

"If it wasn't harsh, the Tao family, the Asakuras, the Oyamadas, the Pache, and the Munzers, one fourth of the nobles, wouldn't show up. They'd be too busy with other things." Ren replied.

"Oh..." Horohoro said nervously.

"Don't worry guys, it'll be fun, you'll see. I've heard that all the dances are." Joco said quickly.

"Yea, it'll be alright. I'm sure everything will work out." Yoh said with a carefree smile.

XxX

Me: Please review.


	2. Heads or Tails?

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

The sudden crack of a tree branch broke the silence in the Forest of Anguish, waking the beasts who lived there. A lone character watched, hidden in the trees, as a woman wandered through one of the many faded paths within the forest. The character knew who she was and why she was there, but he was curious as to what she wanted. Like all others who came, she required his... services. But he wanted to know if she could really handle all that inquired.

An amused smirk played on the character's lips as he though of a way to test her determination. He quietly pulled a throwing dagger from his belt and threw it at a thin rope tied to a nearby tree, triggering one of the many traps he'd set in the forest. He leaned back in the branch, resting his head against the bark as he peered over to see what she would do.

A large number of wild boars were charging in her direction. The boars were very territorial and known to chase out, if not kill intruders to their territory. This girl didn't look too muck like the sheltered type, but how would she deal with the boars? If she ran out of the forest, then he wasn't going to waste his time with her.

Much to his surprise and amusement, she didn't move. It wasn't because she was paralyzed from fear, but rather, she genuinely seemed unafraid. He could sense no arrogance coming from her, just an unwavering calm. Either she was confident in her abilities to avoid the boars, or she simply didn't fear death. Both of which were equally admirable in his opinion.

What happened next only increased his curiosity. Once the boars came within trampling range, she told them to stop... and they actually obeyed. Perhaps there was more to this girl than meets the eye. She was obviously talented, no normal person would have been able to calm the boars in the middle of a rampage with just a single word. So, there lies the question.

'_What could she want with me?_' Hao thought with a smirk.

Figuring that he had left the woman waiting long enough, he jumped out of the tree and walked towards her. Once he came withing her sight range, she turned to face him with a calm smile.

"Did I pass your test?" The woman asked.

"You knew it was a test? What a surprise. Yes, I suppose you could say you 'passed'." Hao said.

"I am just checking to make sure, but you are Hao, correct?" The woman asked.

"That's right. And you are?" Hao replied.

"My name is Sati. I've heard many things about you. I've heard that you're a skilled assassin, the best there is. Though you rarely take any requests. Tell me, what do I need to do to get you to take my request?" Sati asked curiously.

"All I need are three things. The reason you asked me instead of another, an acceptable payment beforehand, and a task which catches my interest." Hao replied.

"The reason why I asked you is because that I believe you are the only one capable of doing what I have in mind. As for payment, I believe this would be sufficient." Sati said as she handed him a large bag of coins.

Hao looked at the bag momentarily before returning his gaze to her, he woman clearly did her homework on him, she even learned his usual fee. "So, tell me. What is this task you have in mind?"

"You know of the Asakura family, correct?" Sati asked.

"I know of all the noble families." Hao said simply.

"Well, despite their rather boring outer image of a noble family of specialized herbalists, they've been poisoning villages, killing hundreds of people to test their new poisons and cures. They do this to provide the King with other means of military weaponry, so their actions are considered justified and hidden from the public. I want you to kill everyone involved, erase them from existence." Sati explained.

"Sounds awfully just, but boring. You could easily find someone else to do that." Hao said as he began to look around for something else to do.

"No, I couldn't. The Asakura family has many branches and all of which have very high security when the head of each branch is around, not to mention that they're scattered across the whole continent. It could take years to get rid of all of them, not to mention the branches who exist solely for fighting. I don't want you to just take out the head branch, Hao. I want to to kill the whole damn tree." Sati said quickly.

Hao sighed as he returned his gaze to her, still looking somewhat bored with the concept. "That's better, but still not enough to gain my interest."

Sati reached into her pocket and tossed him a picture. "The only way to get them all in the country is to make the heir disappear. It doesn't matter if you kill him or kidnap him, as long as he's gone."

Hao stared at the picture for a long moment, surprised at the resemblance between himself and the boy. The biggest difference he could see between them was the difference in hair length. While his own hair brushed past his hips, the boy's barely touched his shoulders. He had to admit, the boy certainly caught his attention, but sadly, the task still wasn't looking all that appealing.

"Still not interested. Try someone else." Hao said as he began walking back into the forest.

"Hao, one more thing I've heard about you is that you were orphaned as an infant... What if I told you that the Asakuras were your family?" Sati whispered.

Hao froze in his tracks, eyes narrowing as he turned to face her with an icy glare. "What?"

"The boy in the picture, the current heir, his name is Yoh Asakura... and he's your younger twin brother." Sati replied.

Hao stared at her for a long moment, face void of all emotions. Then, after what seemed like hours, the corners of his lips twisted into a cruel smile, one which made her regret ever having told him. She shuddered. She thought he would have been mad at her, furious even for wanting him to kill his own family, instead he looked thrilled. The more she stared at him, the less he looked like an assassin wanting some fun and more like a demon craving for blood.

"Congratulations. You've caught my interest. I'll accept your little request."

XxX

Hao twirled a dagger in his hand while watching his dear little brother chat about useless subjects with his friends. While listening in on their conversation, he's learned that their parents and best guard were currently gone on other matters, leaving Yoh with only the servants and lesser guards for company. Making him disappear should have been easy, yet it wasn't.

He'd been watching them for two days now and it was getting annoying. Mikihisa and his wife would be back the day after tomorrow which meant that he'd have to make Yoh disappear some time before then if he wanted things to go smoothly. Unfortunately, Yoh's friends hadn't left his side since the Asakuras left, they'd even slept over last night, leaving him little chance of getting near Yoh while they were around.

He recognized Yoh's friends easily. All of them were heirs to noble families, excluding the one called Joco, who was the royal comedian despite his lousy jokes. The Tao and Diethel brat seemed like the two that would cause the greatest problem, should he be forced act while they were there. The Taos were known for their fighting capabilities while the Diethels were amongst the best detectives in the country. Both of them were annoying obstacles, to say the least.

The sound of a door closing caused his ears to perk up as he glanced back down at the noble kids. They were finally leaving. A smile formed on his lips as he listened to Yoh's friends say how they'd meet him at the royal dance. They weren't coming back tomorrow... good. From the corner of his eye he could see them all walk out the front door of the mansion, but he'd no longer had any interest in them.

Tomorrow, he'd finally make Yoh disappear. Though, now it seemed like he had a new problem to address. Would he kill his dear brother? Or would he kidnap him? Absentmindedly, he reached into his pocked and pulled out a silver coin. Perhaps he'd just leave it to luck. Heads he killed Yoh, tails he kidnapped him. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the coin high in the air. He caught it during the middle of its decent and placed on the back of his other hand. Then, he took his hand off the coin to reveal the verdict.

Hao smirked.

"So... Heads it is."

XxX

Me: Please review.


	3. Attacked

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

WARNINGS: Torture, Murder, Gore, Yaoi, Incest, character death, and possibly more later...

XxX

"Yoh-sama, i-it's almost noon. T-time to w-wake up."

"Hn... Alright... I'll be up in a minute..."

Yoh reluctantly opened his eyes and looked up at the one who'd woken him from his sleep. Tamao was one of the few servants in the household that actually spoke to him and he like the fact that she did, even if she was so nervous all the time. He didn't like thinking of the people who worked at the house as servants like his family did, instead he would have liked it if they could all be friends. Sadly, no one else seemed to thing that way.

No matter how hard he tried to talk or get to know them, they still just treated him as the young master of the house. It made things really lonely sometimes. There were only two people his age in the entire house who spoke to him. Fudou, an assistant chef who occasionally stopped to chat with him when he was on break. Then, Tamao, the maid who prevented him from sleeping all day when his parents weren't around. In both cases, the conversations were fairly short.

He knew that Tamao had a crush on him, but he'd decided not to address it for her sake. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. He thought of her as a friend, a sister, nothing more, but even if he did, there was nothing he could do about it. He was engaged to Anna whether he liked it or not, there wasn't really a choice in the matter.

"Um, Yoh-sama?" Tamao muttered as she stood in the middle of the door frame.

"Yea?" Yoh said as he began taking off his yukata.

Tamao blushed about fifty shades of red when she made the mistake of turning to look at him. "I-I, u-uh. I-it's nothing. U-uh... byebyenow!"

Yoh giggled as he watched her run out the door at full speed. Perhaps he should have waited until after she left before starting to get dressed. He'd probably have to apologize to her later, but hey, at least he'd been wearing boxers.

XxX

So far, the day had been long and uneventful, but that was one of the things he loved about it. On days like this, he could do pretty much what ever he wanted. Which mostly included taking naps, eating oranges, and playing with his cat, Matamune. Whenever his friends weren't around and he was left alone at the house, Matamune was the only one that he felt he could talk to. Even though it wasn't like Matamune could talk back or anything, he was still a good listener.

One thing he really like doing was sitting in the grass of the balcony with his back against the sakura tree and Matamune laying peacefully on his lap. That was what he was doing at the moment. Matamune was purring contently against his skin, nuzzling his head against his shirt before rolling onto his back and letting his fluffy belly show.

Sometimes Yoh wished that he was a cat like Matamune, small, cute, and without the burden of being the heir of a noble family. Well, there were a few perks. No one ever bullied him... but no one ever wanted to go near him either and he was hated by people who didn't even know him just because he was a noble. No matter where he went, he was always judged for his families actions.

A carefree smile began to form as he noticed the sun beginning to set. It painted the sky an ocean of red, orange, and violet with pink cotton candy like clouds floating in the waves of color. He loved watching the sunset, it was always so beautiful. The flowers in the garden brought a lovely floral scent, almost making him wonder if perhaps the flowers liked the sunset just as much as he did.

A sharp pain in his leg brought his attention back to Matamune, who seemed really tense all the sudden. Matamune's ears were drawn back, his claws unsheathed and his tail was twitching. Without warning, Matamune jumped off of him and glanced around the area warily. The fur on his back and tail puffed up, making him seem twice his normal size.

"Matamune? Is something wrong?" Yoh asked warily as he stood up and reached over for the cat.

Matamune looked up at him and he could almost sense the fear and anxiety coming from his feline friend. Before he had the chance to pet Matamune or tell him that it was alright, the cat's ear twitched. Matamune's eyes widened before narrowing at nothing in particular. The feline let out a low hiss before running back into the house in terror.

"That's strange... Matamune's never acted like that before... I wonder what could have scared him..." Yoh said quietly.

He began walking back towards the door in favor of going to find his tiger striped feline, when he heard the crack of a twig behind him. As he turned to look at what might be there, he felt a tug on the collar of his shirt. Before he could react, he was yanked backwards and thrown onto the grassy floor. His back hit the ground, _hard_, and his head just barely brushed against bark of the tree.

A weight on his stomach brought his attention to his attacker. He had a total of ten seconds to get a good look at the person. Judging by the strength they used as they pinned his arms to his sides, he guess the the attacker was male. The guy wore a black dragon mask which covered his face and a violet bandana which hid his hair. The person looked no taller than him, they might've even been the same age.

Once the ten seconds of confusion had ended, Yoh began to struggle. He tried prying his arms away from the attacker's hold, but it did him little good. The attacker was holding his arms down with just his knees, yet the guy clearly didn't seem to be having any trouble keeping him still, despite his best efforts to break free. A cool hand covered his mouth before he could scream, leaving him little hope of escape.

He could feel his fear rising as he understood the danger of the situation he was in. The attacker still had use of one of his hands and whatever weapon he might've been carrying while he was left completely helpless beneath the guy. He couldn't call for help because of the hand currently muffling any noise he tried to make and he doubted that anyone would come near the balcony for a while.

A flicker of movement drew his attention to a small black black dagger in the attackers hands. His eyes widened and the adrenalin kicked in. He bit down on the attacker's hand as hard as he could, making the guy flinch back from the pain. That distraction was all he needed. He freed his arms from the attackers hold before rolling out from underneath him and sending a sideways kick to the head.

The attacker moved out of the way just in time to avoid the hit and used the knife to retaliate, aiming directly for his neck. The knife hit Yoh's arm, tearing a deep cut into the skin. He was thankful that he had brought up just in time to prevent the knife from tearing into his neck, but it still hurt like hell. He couldn't stop himself from staggering... big mistake.

In that instant, the attacker managed to get close enough to push him down once more. As he fell, he managed to hit the dagger out of the attacker's hands, causing it to land somewhere near the entrance to the house. The impact with the ground was much harder than last time, but that was probably also because the attacker fell on top of him this time.

"You're being more difficult than I thought you'd be. I was _going_ to try and make this quick and pleasant... Oh well, clearly that's not happening." The attacker said casually.

Two hands wrapped around Yoh's throat at the end of the sentence, quickly beginning to tighten their hold. Yoh's eyes widened in fear as it became steadily harder for the oxygen to reach his lungs. He grabbed one one of the attacker's arms in an attempt to pry him off. He could feel his nails sinking into the guy's skin, yet the guy never even flinched.

Tears formed is his eyes, his mouth gasping for breath. '_It hurts._' Yoh thought as he looked up at his attacker, silently begging him to stop. He could see the the attackers eyes behind the mask, those cold eyes seeming to take pleasure in the pain he felt. That hurt more than the fingers slowly crushing his lungs. It hurt to see those eyes looking at him with such hatred.

Yoh's arms fell limply to his sides, no longer having the strength to keep them up. His vision was beginning to blur from the lack of oxygen, soon it was too blurry for him to make anything out anymore. There was no strength left in his body, his hope fading with his consciousness, quickly slipping away. He didn't even have the energy to struggle anymore, he couldn't feel the pain, though he was dimly aware of the warm tears trickling down his cheeks.

His eyes looked up at the other male once more, despite being unable to see him. His lips formed a single word before everything faded to black.

'_Why?_'

XxX

Yoh: What?! I died?

Me: Pretty much.

Yoh: T.T Why?

Me: Because I felt like having Hao kill you.

Yoh: What made you decide that?

Me: 1. I did say that there would be murder in the story 2. Like Hao, I flipped a coin.

Yoh: Um, does this mean I'm talking to you as a spirit?

Me: Fufu. Not exactly. The author's notes don't have any affect on the actual story.

Yoh: Oh.

Me: Please review.


	4. Not Yet

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Hao slowly removed his hands from his brother's neck, taking notice of the red marks he'd left on the skin before carefully getting to his feet. It had taken a lot longer than he'd thought it would. He hadn't expected Yoh to fight back like that. It was a futile attempt, but it was a good one. He got up and retrieved his dagger from where it had fallen and placed it back in his belt.

As far as he could tell, there weren't any obvious signs of a struggle. Some of Yoh's blood had splattered on the white roses when he'd cut the boy's arm earlier, but that was the only noticeable sign. Now, all he really had to do was figure out somewhere to put Yoh. Sati said she wanted him to disappear, which meant that he couldn't just leave his body there.

He tried to ignore the twinge of guilt he felt as he looked down at the boy. It was strange. No matter how hard he tried to put it out of mind, he couldn't stop an aching pain from rising in his chest when he thought about what he'd done. He had killed thousands of people in cold blood, tortured hundreds, set entire villages on fire and just watched as they burned, but he'd never felt _guilty_ before.

Why did that stupid emotion have to show up now of all times? Yoh was just one person, his death hadn't been particularly cruel either. But those irritating thoughts just wouldn't go away. It wasn't like he could do anything to change what he'd done, the boy was already dead, or at least, he would be in a second. He was clearly no longer breathing and his heart would stop in the next minute if it hadn't already.

But... Why was killing him so different? Even as the boy's life was slipping away, there was no hatred towards him, his killer, there was only sadness, confusion, and fear. He had looked so helpless, he hadn't even understood why he was killed. A spark of anger flickered in Hao's eyes at the thought. He didn't want that. If Yoh was going to die, he wanted him to to understand why. He wanted his twin to regret living his life in such blissful ignorance. He wanted to show him just how cruel reality could be.

"Damn it... There's no way in hell I'm letting you die so easily." Hao growled as he tore off his mask.

There was still time, it had only been a few minutes since he stopped breathing. There was still a chance to revive Yoh, but he needed to work fast. If he could get some air the boy's lungs before his before he went brain dead, then he might be able to bring him back.

Hao quickly knelt beside beside Yoh and got to work. He used one hand to cover his nose, the other hand to part his lips, then he connected their mouths. He breathed air into his lungs and then tried to get his heart working again. The entire time he wasn't sure if what he was doing would even accomplish anything, but he wanted to try.

Seconds seemed like hours, minutes like days. He wasn't sure how long he was supposed to do this before it was time to let go, but it was taking too long. There seemed to be no change despite his efforts, he couldn't feel a heartbeat and Yoh still hadn't moved. Finally, he decided that it was time to give it up. He breathed into Yoh for the last time, praying that maybe it would work.

'W_ake up. I'm not letting you die... Not yet._'

Hao's eyes widened as he felt it against Yoh's skin... a heartbeat. A sudden gasp followed almost immediately afterward. It had worked. His twin was alive. Now that the worry of Yoh dying was finally gone, the guilt faded and he was able to focus clearly again. He picked his mask up off the ground and out it on again before looking back at Yoh. His twin would probably be unconscious for a while, he'd had a very close call with death after all.

The midnight breeze reminded him of how late it was and he cursed under his breath. He'd spent too long at this place. The servants of the house would probably start to realize the disappearance of their master pretty soon and they needed to be gone before that happened. He carefully took Yoh into his arms, being careful not to injure his neck any more than he already had, and began walking towards the edge of the balcony.

He glanced back at the house once more before jumping off the edge of the balcony and onto the branch of a nearby tree. His house was a long way away from the Asakura mansion and it would take him well over half the night to get there, not to mention a few things that he'd have to take care of along the way. The sound of an opening door made him freeze right before his next jump.

"Huh? I could have sworn I heard something..."

Hao smirked as he watched the shadow of the person return to the house. He just couldn't wait until the news spread that the Asakura heir had been kidnapped. No doubt the city would be in chaos. It would certainly be amusing to see. Although, the thing he was most curious about was how the king and princess would react to the news, especially with their little dance coming up.

XxX

Tamao paced nervously in front of Yoh's bedroom door. She wanted to tell him what she tad been told immediately, but at the same time she was worried that she'd walk in on him while he was getting dressed. A blush spread across her face at the thought. Yesterday she'd almost passed out because of that and she really couldn't afford to just run out of the room this time.

She knocked on the door softly.

"Yoh-sama? May I come in?"

There was a strange silence as she waited for a response. It was still kind of early, so there was a chance that he was still asleep, now that she thought about it.

"Yoh-sama, I have news from your parents. Are you awake yet?"

Once again, she was answered by the unnatural silence. Well, if he was asleep, then there wouldn't be a need to worry about walking in on hims while he was getting dressed... unless he decided to sleep in his boxers. She quickly shook her head and put that thought out of mind. She didn't have time to think about this, she needed to tell Yoh what Mikihisa had said.

"Yoh-sama, I'm coming in."

Tamao slowly twisted the doorknob and peaked inside.

"Yoh-sama?"

A frown formed on her lips as she stepped further into the room. The blankets on the bed were neatly placed on the mattress exactly the way she'd left them after doing his bed yesterday. There was no way Yoh slept in his bed last night. Even on the occasion that he did make his bed after sleeping, it was never this tidy. Well, it wasn't too strange that he hadn't returned to his room. There were a few other placed where he'd sleep around the mansion.

After quietly closing the door behind her, she went off to search the other areas. Mikihisa and Keiko's room was empty, though she was still glad she checked. Sometimes when Yoh missed his parents, he would sleep in their room when they were gone. Matamune's room was also empty as well, excluding the small feline resting on the scratching post. That left only one place, the balcony.

As she walked up to the third floor, she stopped and asked other maids along the way if they had seen Yoh. All of their responses were starting to worry her. No one had seen or heard from him since yesterday evening. She tried to tell herself that she was just getting worked up over nothing. She tried to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach saying that something was terribly wrong. As she opened the door and walked onto the balcony, the fear only got worse. Yoh was nowhere to be seen.

"Yoh-sama?!" She called desperately.

Tamao frantically began to search. She checked behind the bushes, she looked around the railing, she even climbed up and searched the branches of the tree. This had never happened before, she couldn't find Yoh anywhere. As she jumped out of the tree and back onto the cool grass, something red caught her attention. She slowly made her way over to the single white rosebush growing near the tree, fearing what she might find.

The little red dots painting the once pure white petals instantly caught her attention. Her hand trembled as she reached out and touched one of the droplets which still looked a little wet. Her eyes widened as she recognized the crimson liquid. '_Blood?_' She took a few steps back, tripping on one of the roots of the tree. '_Why... is there blood?_' A shaky breath entered her lungs as the fear overwhelmed her thoughts.

'_What happened to Yoh-sama?_'

'_Why is there blood on the roses?_'

'_This blood... is it... his?_'

XxX

Me: Please review


	5. Something Wrong

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

All of the servants glanced nervously around the living room, wondering what this meeting was all about. Just a moment ago, they had all run onto the balcony after hearing Tamao scream. However, before any of them could ask what happened, she shoved them all into the living room and called a servants meeting. All of them were now sitting on the floor waiting impatiently for Tamao -who was currently pacing in front of them- to speak. Finally, someone got fed up with waiting and decided to ask.

"What happened?"

Tamao froze and looked back at all of them, her eyes wet with tears. "Y-Yoh-sama... Yoh-sama is... He's missing!" Tamao cried.

"What!?"

"I searched everywhere, but I couldn't find him... a-and when I searched the balcony... t-there was b-blood on the white roses." Tamao whispered.

"W-We have to contact the masters right away!"

"I-I wish we could, but they're going to the dance and left their phones in the inn they were staying at. When I talked to t-them on the phone last night, they told me to tell Yoh that they'd meet him at the dance. T-the only way to get a hold of them is to go to the dance personally, but servants aren't allowed. I d-don't know if anyone would even be let in." Tamao replied.

"Well, I hate to say it, but you're gonna have to try. None of us can go. You're the only one other than Amidamaru and Ryu that the masters even recognize. To them we're all just faceless beings. Maybe if you tell the guard why you're there he'll let you in."

"B-but I couldn't-" Tamao tried.

"You have to! The longer the news of the young master's disappearance is unknown, the less the chance we'll have of finding him!"

"You're right, I have to hurry. Hopefully I'll be able to reach them." Tamao said as she ran towards the door.

"Good luck, Tama-chan. You'll need it."

XxX

Ren glared at his father a moment before looking around disinterestedly at the room he was in. Despite what Joco said a few days ago, the dance was boring as hell. It was just a bunch of rich and influential people chatting amongst each other and dancing to crappy music. He'd rather let Jun and Joco dress him up in a prom dress, braid his hair, and send him on a date with a total bastard than be forced to be there.

The only good thing about it was that you weren't forced to dance, you just had to remain in this area of the castle. However, the Taos, the Diethels, and the Asakuras had to remain in the actual room where the dance was taking place. He considered it a quirk of being one of the three highest noble families, something he didn't like but would have to do anyway. Despite the fact that there were over twenty noble families, only those three were particularly close with the king for some reason.

Lyserg didn't seem to be particularly fond of the dance either, he seemed much more interested in staying in the little friendship circle with Horohoro, Joco, and himself. Normally Ren would be fighting with Horohoro about something completely unnecessary, but they were still waiting for their last friend to arrive before they tried doing anything too crazy.

"Hey, is it just me, or is Yoh's kinda late?" Horohoro said suddenly.

"It's not just you, Horohoro. The required time to be here was two hours ago, yet I haven't seen Yoh anywhere." Lyserg said quietly.

"I saw Mikihisa and Keiko a while ago, but they said that they came to the dance right after their meeting was over and that Yoh was supposed to come on his own." Joco said.

"Even being as lazy as he is, he should have been here by now, what could be taking him so long?" Ren said with a frown.

The ring of a glass brought everyone's attention to the stage where princess Jeanne stood, along with a very skittish pink haired maid. The moment all eyes were on her, the temperature dropped several degrees. Something was wrong, _very_ wrong. The princess wasn't smiling. Now some might consider this strange, to be so concerned just because an 11 year old didn't look too happy, but only those among the nobles truly understood what that meant.

The princess was _always_ smiling, even on the rare chance that she wasn't smiling, her lips would form a small, cute, pout. This fact was was what made the kingdom seem so welcoming to outsiders. Jeanne was angelic, noble, and friendly. Despite being so young, many considered her the perfect princess. Even if she was ripping out your entrails, she'd act genuinely concerned for your health. However, the expression she wore right now was anything but pleasant.

"Do I have everyone's attention?" Jeanne asked calmly.

The room became completely silent following her words, all eyes completely focused on the two girls at the stage.

Taking the silence as a yes, Jeanne continued. "I'm afraid that something urgent has come up, the dance has been canceled until further notice. Everyone except for the Taos, the Diethels, the Asakuras, the Oyamadas, and the Usuis please leave immediately, seeing as how this matter does not directly concern you."

Confused murmurs filled the room as everyone except for the head and heir of the specified families began to clear out. Once the only the people who were specified remained, the atmosphere became tense. Everyone glanced at the maid one or more times before returning their gaze to the princess.

"Is something wrong, your highness?" Mikihisa asked nervously.

"Yes, very wrong. I'm sorry to tell you this, but it seems as though your son is missing." Jeanne replied.

"What?!" Keiko exclaimed.

"I believe this maid would do a better job explaining than I, but let us wait until we get to the Asakura residence. I believe that would be a better idea. Would you agree, Liam?" Jeanne asked.

"I believe so. Being in the actual place the event happened might give us a better idea of what happened. Is that alright with you, Asakura-san?" Liam inquired.

"Of course. If my son is missing, I'll do anything if it'll help find out what happened to him."

XxX

Tamao glanced around nervously at the Asakura mansion. At Liam's request, all of the servants were currently reenacting everything that they did yesterday in order to help him get a better picture of what happened. Currently, Mikihisa, Keiko, Liam, Horohoro, Ren, Lyserg, Manta, and Joco were all waiting in the living room for a servant to come down and say that they were ready.

Jeanne and the Usui, Oyamada, and Tao, heads of family left a while ago, each having different mattered to take care of. Although it didn't really matter, the heirs of those families who were really supposed to be their anyway since they were all friends of Yoh. Although, the silence was making her extremely uncomfortable. No one made a sound, everyone was just too worried or tense to speak.

"Um, we're ready." A maid called from the door way.

"Thank you." Liam replied. "Now, Tamao, if you don't mind, could you please show us what happened the day before you noticed Yoh was missing?"

XxX

Me: Please review


	6. Recap

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

"It was almost noon and I was a little upset that Yoh-sama wasn't up yet. I always have to wake him up when his parents and miss Anna aren't around, you see." Tamao said as she same to a stop at Yoh's bedroom door.

"Go on." Liam encouraged.

"I went through the door and told Yoh-sama that it was time to get up. He then lazily responded that he'd be up in just a minute. He seemed a little upset that the other servants rarely talked to him again. He never said it verbally, but when you're with him long enough you can tell what he's upset about just by looking. I turned to leave, but stopped, feeling that I should tell him not to feel too bad about it. Unfortunately, I was never able to say the words."

"Why not?" Liam asked curiously.

Tamao blushed and played with a curl in her hair nervously. "Well, when I turned around, he had already started getting dressed. Seeing Yoh-sama in only his boxers was a bit much for me, so I just stuttered and ended up running out of the room."

"And what happened next?" Liam asked.

"I think it would be better if you asked Jinny that. I had to go home early after that, my mother called to tell me that she was sick." Tamao replied.

Tamao decided to wait by the door while Jinny showed them all to the balcony.

"After eating lunch, I saw Yoh-sama go out to the balcony while holding Matamune. All the other servants say that no one saw him leave, so I think I was the last to see him. I was finishing up the last of my chores when I tripped over Matamune, who seemed in quite a panic. After that, I walked by the balcony door and heard a creak and rusting leaves. I was a little worried, so I peaked out the door. There was no one there. I figured that I'd just imagined it, so I went back inside the house and finished my chores." Jinny said as she led them back to Yoh's bedroom door where Tamao was waiting.

"Thank you, Jinny. Would you mind sticking around with us for a little longer? I think I may need to ask you something soon." Liam asked.

"Of course." Jinny replied.

"Now, Tamao, what happened?" Liam asked.

"Well, the next morning I found myself pacing outside Yoh's bedroom door. I needed to tell him what Mikihisa had said to me on the phone, but I was worried I might accidentally walk in on him while he was getting dressed. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. It was still early at the time, so I thought he might've still been asleep. I knocked twice more with still no answer before entering the room. The sheets were nicely made, exactly the way I'd left them yesterday, but Yoh was nowhere in sight." Tamao paused before beginning to lead them all back to the balcony.

"At that point I was a little nervous. I left the room to go check some other places where he might've fallen asleep instead while asking around as I looked. He wasn't in the master's bedroom or Matamune's and no one had heard from him since last night. I was getting really worried. When I walked onto the balcony, Yoh was nowhere to be seen. I looked everywhere. I checked the bushes, the railing, even the branches to the tree, but I couldn't find him."

Tamao took a shaky breath as she continued. "As I was in the tree, I noticed something red in the rosebush. I shuddered as I walked over to it, fearing what might be there. There were red drops on the petals. I touched one and recognized it as blood. Then I called a staff meeting, went to the dance to get Mikihisa, and here we are now."

"I see, thank you Tamao, you can go. Jinny, you're the head of maid, aren't you?" Liam asked curiously.

"Yes." Jinny replied.

"Ok. I have just a few more questions to confirm my theory. The first is for you, Jinny. Did any of the other servants of the household see Yoh leave after he went onto the balcony?" Liam asked.

"No. No one saw him after that time." Jinny replied.

"Thank you, you can go now. My second question is for Ren." Liam stated.

"Me?" Ren said questioningly.

"Yes. You're a very skilled fighter are you not?" Liam asked.

"Of course. All the Taos are masters of at least one form of martial art, I've learned six." Ren said confidently.

"I heard that Yoh learned how to fight to protect himself. Knowing your personality, you've probably sparred with him a few times. Tell me, how strong would you say he is?" Liam asked.

"I've fought him ten times before... and have yet to defeat him. Yoh is strong." Ren said quietly.

"I see. Now, for my last question." Liam said as he walked over to the edge of the balcony. "Do you think you could jump from here to that tree branch-"

"Of course." Ren said simply.

"-while carrying someone your own weight or more?" Liam finished.

"...I might be able to if I needed to, but it wouldn't be my first choice." Ren replied.

"Well?" Keiko asked worriedly.

"As you all can probably already assume, Yoh has been kidnapped. And his kidnapper is a very skilled one by the looks of it. I can estimate that the kidnapper is somewhere between 18-26. A skilled fighter, so is probably into martial arts, and possibly bears a grudge against the Asakura family or knows someone who does." Liam explained.

"Then how do we find Yoh?" Lyserg asked.

"That, my boy, is a more difficult question. We search for any evidence that the kidnapper might've left behind and if we're lucky, it'll lead us right to him. If we're not, we'll have to wait till the attacker makes another move." Liam replied.

"Wait till he makes a move, are you nuts? What if he doesn't? Then we'll never find Yoh." Horohoro snapped.

"No, he'll make a move." Liam said confidently.

"And how do you know?" Mikihisa asked.

"Because if he wasn't going to, then he never would have left that blood on the rose petals. He could have easily made it look like Yoh ran away from home, and yet he left a clear sign that there had been a struggle. He wants us to know that Yoh was taken. He'll show up again. I'm sure of it."

XxX

Me: Please review


	7. Chained

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Consciousness returning...

Slowly...

Shivering...

Clink...

The world seemed to spin as Yoh finally began to open his eyes. He felt awful, his neck was sore and it felt like his throat was burning. His mind was a mess as well, it took him over five minutes just to remember his own name. '_What happened?_' Yoh thought wearily. He closed his eyes and tried to center his mind, ignoring the pain as he tried to recall what had happened.

"Matamune... scared of something... I... yanked back... A dragon mask... Two hands... It hurt... No air..." Yoh mumbled.

Suddenly, the memories came flooding back to him. Fighting against the attacker, his arm getting cut by the dagger, being pinned down, and the slow asphyxiation as those two hands tightened their hold around his neck. Just thinking about it made it difficult to breathe. He was so confused. He remembered suffocating, he remembered blacking out... he remembered dying. Now, how was he still alive?

His sight began to cleared up a bit, so he tried getting a better look at the room he was in. The walls and floors were a dull gray with dried blood splattered across the corners. There was a small glass window on the wall to his right, though it looked to be about thirty feet high. The room itself was big, about the size of the living room back at his house, but it looked more like a prison cell.

There were rusty black chains attached to the wall in front of him and a few torture tools hung on a rack on the wall to his right. His eyes widened slightly at the thought of future pain. He wanted to get out of there, now. His wrists were chained to the wall behind him, leaving him little hope of breaking free. Not to mention how the cut on his arm felt like it was tearing deeper into his skin every time he tried to move it.

"Ara? You're finally awake, I see."

Yoh flinched at the amused tone of the one who spoke before hesitantly turning towards the door. It seemed at though he had been right in his first assessment of his kidnapper, he was clearly male and looked about the same age as him. The mask was still hiding his face, but the bandana was gone, revealing silky dark brown tresses which reached past the guy's waist.

"Who.. are you?" Yoh asked.

The boy ignored his question and walked into the room, looking thoughtfully at where Yoh was chained.

Yoh backed up even further into the wall as the attacker came closer. He did not want to be anywhere near this person, especially since he was unable to fight back should they try anything. Unfortunately, he was at his limit with the wall pressed firmly against his back and the boy standing directly in front of him. Using most of his strength, Yoh twisted to the side and aimed a kick at the other.

It seemed to take they guy by surprise, seeing as how he didn't dodge it. The boy's face swung to the side from the impact. For a moment, there was an eery silence where Yoh just stared, wondering how the other would react. Slowly, a hand reached up and tugged at the strings of the mask, causing it to fall to the floor and allowing Yoh to see what lied beneath. His eyes widened in recognition when he finally saw the others face.

The guy looked just like him. If it wasn't for the hair length difference, he might've thought that he was looking into a mirror. A mirror who's eyes reflected back with none of the kindness which he had. Instead of the life, happiness, and light which others had often told him lied within his gaze, the reflection's gaze held nothing but hatred, darkness, and the smallest hint of loneliness.

"You asked who I was before, didn't you? Well, my name is Hao. It's a pleasure to meet you, Otouto." Hao said as he knelt next to Yoh.

"Otouto?" Yoh said questioningly, shuddering as he felt a cold finger run under his chin.

"Oh? You didn't know? How unsurprising that they'd keep that fact from you. I'm you're twin brother. The one the Asakuras abandoned as an infant and left to die in this forest." Hao said nonchalantly.

"W-what? W-why would they a-abandon you? You're my b-brother, right?" Yoh stuttered.

"Who knows? Who cares? I don't really give a damn about their reasons, I just want to make them pay for it." Hao said simply.

"Is that why you took me?" Yoh asked.

"Kind of, but taking you was only half personal. There's more to it than that." Hao said as he felt the part of Yoh's neck where the marks once were, smirking when Yoh flinched at the touch.

"Half personal?" Yoh questioned.

"I'm an assassin. A couple weeks ago someone gave me a request to irradiate the Asakura family. It sounded boring, so I refused. Then... they happened to tell me that said family was also the one who abandoned me as an infant. After hearing that, I gladly accepted. Unfortunately, the only way to get everyone in the state was to make the heir of the main branch, my Otouto, disappear. It didn't matter whether you were killed or kidnapped, as long as you were gone." Hao explained.

"An a-assassin? Wait, you want to kill the entire family?" Yoh asked worriedly.

Hao rolled his eyes. "Yes. I think I just said that."

"But why? I can understand why you'd hate our parents, but why the rest? There's really no need to kill them, is there? There has to be some other- Mmph!?" Before Yoh could finish, he was cut off by two slender fingers being shoved into his mouth, cutting off anything further he might've said.

"...Don't forget your position,Yoh. The only reason you're still alive is because of a whim. That can change at anytime, so I'd advise you not to put me in a bad mood." Hao said coolly.

Yoh nodded quickly, fearing what might happen if he didn't.

Hao gave him a friendly smile and removed his fingers from the others mouth. He absentmindedly wiped the saliva off on his jeans before getting back to his feet.

"You've been unconscious for about a week, so I'm guessing that you'll be getting hungry soon. I'll be back later with something for to eat. I wouldn't want you to die of hunger when I've got so many things planned for you." Hao said as he walked out the door, leaving only the click of the lock to fill the silence.

XxX

Nox: *growls*

Me: What's wrong?

Nox: Is this going to get dark sometime soon? It _is_ a horror and I was looking forward to those warnings.

Me: The warnings are there for a reason. Don't worry, they'll happen.

Nox: When?

Me: 1, when the rest of the Asakura family enters the story. 2, when my dark side comes back.

Nox: Where did your dark side go?

Me: She fell asleep shortly after this chapter was finished.

Nox: How can I wake her up?

Me: I duno. Don't worry though, she'll wake up soon.

Nox: *growls*

Me: Please review.


	8. Talk of Torture

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Hao frowned slightly as he put on the final touches to his disguise. He hated how long it took to get the damn thing ready. While wearing it he looked a few years younger, most thought he was between 14 – 16. He wore a short red wig which had the fringe partially covering his left eye. His clothes consisted of what would usually be seen on someone from the middle class part of the kingdom. Lastly, he put in a pair of blue eye contacts to finish it.

Now that he was dressed and ready to go, it was time for him to get back to work on his day job. He worked as a journalist for the Midnight Journal and today he would be covering the story of Yoh's disappearance. The nobles had been trying to cover it up, but despite their best efforts, rumors had still begun to spread. All he had to do was find the story closest to the truth and use it for the article. This particular story was made both easier and harder by the fact that it was his own crime.

He locked the door behind him and began walking towards the city. Before he could actually get started on work, he needed to get something or rather _someone_ off his mind. Luckily, there was someone among his friends who was pretty good at helping him solve problems. This friend was also among the few people he could stand being around for more than an hour.

The only problem with talking to him was... he was damn near impossible to find. The guy would just show up randomly when Hao was walking through the forest. All he could really do was take the long route into the city and hope that his friend would show up along the way. He didn't mind the extra hour the walk took, it would give him more time to organize his thoughts before interviewing people.

"Hisashiburi desu ne, Hao?" A mischievous voice called.

Hao smirked as he turned around to see his friend standing sitting on the branch of a tree behind him.

"If you came over sometimes then it wouldn't be so long, Aura." Hao replied simply.

"Ah, but you know I don't like visiting others where a trap might be waiting. Nothing against you, I've just had a knife in my back too many times for my liking is all." Aura chuckled.

"Fair point" Hao said with a shrug.

"So, what do you need to talk to me about this time?" Aura asked.

"What makes you think I need to talk to you about something?" Hao replied.

"A habit of yours. Did you ever notice that when you've got something troubling you, you play with your earrings? Heheh, and you only take the long route to the city when you want to talk to me. So, what's on your mind?" Aura said with a smile.

"The Asakura heir. I want to torture him, but if I do that I might kill him on accident." Hao said irritably.

"Why do you want to torture him but not kill him?" Aura asked curiously.

"I want to make him regret living in such blissful ignorance and suffer like I have. I want the Asakuras pay for forgetting me. Unfortunately, I can't do all that if he's dead." Hao replied.

"It seems like you want to punish the Asakuras more than him. In that case, I think you're going about it in the wrong way. There's more than one way to hurt someone, you know." Aura said knowingly.

Hao raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Instead of doing only physical torture, screw with his mind. Another thing you might want to do is learn a bit more about him. All you know right now is that he's the Asakura heir and your twin. What do you actually know about him?" Aura replied.

"And why should that matter?" Hao asked.

Aura shrugged. "Think about it. You might find that you were wrong about him, that he's actually different from the rest. After you've learned a bit more, it'll be easier to know which type of torture wold work best on him too. Hell, he might even know a better way to hurt the Asakura's than you would."

"Fine. I'll learn more about my dear brother." Hao said reluctantly.

Aura smiled. "Oh, and try to remember... the worst forms of torture are in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes pain can heal an older wound and kindness can create the deepest scar."

"What do you mean by that?" Hao asked.

Aura chuckled as he walked deeper into the forest. "There are many meanings. It's up to you to choose which one suits you best."

'_Well, that didn't help much._' Hao thought as he continued walking to the city. He wasn't really surprised though, Aura did give good advice, sometimes it just took a while to figure out what it meant.

XxX

The local club was filled with a lot of people, some higher class and some lower class, but most of which were the gossiping type. It took less than a minute for Hao to find someone who knew something about Yoh's disappearance. A lot of people seemed to know about the subject and have pieces of information for him, but there was only one person who had something really interesting to say.

A maid from the Asakura house claimed to have vaguely seen the kidnapper. He offered to buy the girl a piece of cake, since she looked too young to drink. Perhaps in talking to her he could learn not only about what she'd seen, but about Yoh as well. She seemed pretty shy, which was probably the reason why she hadn't mentioned it to the police yet. Either way, it was good for him.

"So, what did you see?" Hao asked curiously.

"I don't know if it was the kidnapper for sure, but on my way to take out the evening trash, I thought I saw someone sneaking around the balcony. It was a woman." Seyram said quietly.

"How do you know for sure?" Hao asked.

"Guys don't have breasts." Seyram said simply. "She was wearing a tight black shirt and it made her chest size pretty visible. She was wearing a mask, so I wasn't able to see her face, and her hair was hidden by a purple headband. At first I thought she might've been one of the male servants girlfriend, but all of them are either single or have a girl that would just go though the front door. Not to mention she looked kind of older, maybe in her thirties."

"Anything else?" Hao inquired.

"No. That's all." Seyram replied quietly.

"Thank you for your time, miss Seyram. You were very helpful." Hao .

Seyram nodded shyly before going back to her cake.

Hao gave her a pleasant smile before walking out of the club. It looks like his decision to wrap the rope around his chest before climbing up the balcony had been a good one. He hadn't thought that someone would mistake him for a girl because of it, but it would make things more difficult for the detective to figure out who the culprit was. It also would make an interesting story for the Midnight Journal as well.

XxX

Me: Rough Translation: "Hisashiburi desu ne?" = "It's been a while, hasn't it?" or "Long time no see, ne?"

Hao:...

Me: ?

Hao: Why the hell did Seyram mistake me for a girl?

Me: Eep!

Hao: Ropes or not, I look nothing like a woman.

Yoh: Consider it revenge for saying I'd look cute as a girl in one of her other stories.

Hao: But you would.

Yoh: Would what?

Hao: *smirks* Look cute as a girl.

Yoh: Nii-chan, not this again...

Me: Please review.


	9. You Read My Newspaper?

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XXXX

**The Midnight Journal**

Thursday, Jun 23, xxxx

Asakura Family Heir Kidnappped?

Sometime during Jun 14, the heir to the Asakura family, Asakura Yoh, went missing from the estate. The last reported sight of him was at 10pm when he went out to the balcony with his cat. The next nay he was reported missing by one of the maids. The only apparent sign that he was taken was a few drops of blood on a white rosebush. Liam Diethel, known as one of the best detectives in the country is currently working on solving this case. According to witness testimonies, it is said that shortly before Yoh went missing, a woman was seen circling the balcony. The witness described the woman as possibly in her late thirties and wearing a black mask. Whether or not this woman is the kidnapper is still unknown, but if you happen to have any information on the matter, please contact the press or police at...

XXXX

Hao tossed the newspaper on the black leather couch before raking a hairbrush through his ginger colored wig. The article had turned out alright, but he still needed more information on the subject and Yoh himself. It seemed like most others who knew something about the event either knew exactly what the maid did, or they new nothing about Yoh other than the fact that he was the heir to a noble family. Finding out more about his dear brother could prove more difficult than he thought.

He was in the middle of buttoning up his white dress shirt when he heard a knock on the door. '_That's strange_.' Hao thought as he glanced over at the simple wooden door to his right.

This was his second house and it resided in the middle class part of the city, it was also the only house he was know to have, but he still rarely ever had visitors. The only one who ever came to visit him here was Luchist, the manager to the Midnight Journal, or the Hana-gumi waitresses, but none of them would come over so early. He quickly put on a pair of blue jeans before walking over to the door.

"Who is it?" Hao asked cautiously.

"My name is Liam Diethel. Would you please open the door?" Liam replied.

Hao's eyes widened slightly as he opened the door. Sure enough, standing before him was the great detective himself. Liam looked exactly like the pictures he'd seen and he had to say, he was surprised that the detective's hair was actually green. Standing beside Liam were three boys, all of which he recognized as being heirs to noble families. There was Tao Ren, Usui Horokeu, and the detective's son, Lyserg Diethel.

"Detective Liam, what brings you to my place?" Hao asked as shifted his gaze between the heirs and the detective.

"I am here on both personal and official business." Liam replied. "Just to make sure I have the right house, you are Mappa Douji, correct?"

"Yes. Why? Am I in some kind of trouble?" Hao said hesitantly.

"No, no. Not at all. I was merely intrigued by the article you wrote in the paper this morning. I was wondering if you would be willing to follow me back to the Asakura residence to talk." Liam replies with a smile.

"Talk about what?" Hao asked.

"About the case. I believe that you might know some things that would be beneficial to us. Please do not mistake this as an order from the police, it's a personal request. So, will you come?" Liam inquired.

"...Alright. Just let me get my notebook."

XxX

The Asakura house looked a lot bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. Hao felt a mix of irritation and hatred as they walked. He didn't want to be in the Asakura house unless he was there to kill and/or torture someone. Although, the only emotions he showed were mild disdain and curiosity. He was interested to know what he could learn from the detective and being there was his best chance to get more information.

When the two of them walked onto the balcony, Hao was slightly surprised to see all who were there. Mikihisa, Keiko, Amidamaru, Faust, Tamao, Jinny, Manta, Ren, Horohoro, Lyserg and Joco were all sitting in a circle waiting for them. It looked like Liam had planned something more than just a simple chat and Hao had to admit, it had caught his attention.

"Will you please explain what took you so long, Liam? The kids said they wouldn't tell until you were here. And who is he?" Mikihisa asked.

"This is Mappa Douji, a journalist for the Midnight Journal. I believe that having him here might help." Liam said as he offered Hao a spot to sit between Ren and Lyserg.

"And how can he help?" Mikihisa snapped.

"I will tell you that in a moment, but before we start, I would like to clear up a few things with you, Mappa." Laim replied.

"What?" Hao asked curiously.

"Anything that you might hear from us you will not put in your paper. Understood?" Liam said calmly.

"I won't promise that, but I will promise not to post anything I learned here unless I hear it from another source outside." Hao replied.

"Fair enough. Now the second matter. You don't seem like the type who will just give away information. So, what would you like in return for answering my questions? I can't tell you anything vital to the case, but if there's something else, please tell." Liam said.

"Well, despite my best efforts, I couldn't find anything about Yoh specifically. So, how about this, I'll tell you what to know in return for information about Yoh." Hao proposed.

"I can agree to that. How about the rest of you?" Liam asked.

"Fine with us." Ren said simply.

"Now that's over with, will you finally explain to us why he's here?" Keiko asked curiously.

"I think he might know a bit about the kidnapper." Liam replied.

"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Now, for my first question, Mappa. What do you know about the kidnapping?" Liam asked, ignoring everyone's outburst.

"I know that Yoh was taken some time during the evening, that he went out to the balcony with his cat and never came back in. According to one witness, there was a woman approximately in her thirties sneaking around below the balcony shortly before Yoh disappeared." Hao replied.

"Most of that you posted in your article, but knowing your past stories, there's more to it, isn't there?" Liam questioned.

"You read the Midnight Journal?" Hao asked curiously.

"Yes. It was introduced to me by Yoh. He was quite a fan of it, you know. Now, the answer to my question?" Liam pressed.

"You're right. After I finished the article, I looked more into the night Yoh disappeared and asked around to see if there was anyone like the woman in the description. Some say they saw a woman with short, ash blonde hair carrying a teen to the hospital. No one can describe what the woman's face looked like because she was apparently wearing a black dragon mask. I went to the hospital to check out the story, but they said it's against policy to reveal anything about their patients." Hao replied.

"Which hospital?" Faust asked.

"Hellgate." Hao said.

"Why the hell would anyone name a hospital Hellgate?" Horohoro asked.

"Maybe because it's in the lawless area of the city and they don't want anyone going there unless they're a criminal or dying?" Hao offered.

"What do you mean? I've never heard of a lawless place like that in the kingdom before." Lyserg said, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"I'm not surprised. Most people middle class or higher don't know of it. I was born in the lower class, so I was already partially familiar with it. The people that live there despise the nobility. If anyone higher than middle class enters, they aren't welcomed very nicely." Hao replied.

"Is there anything else you know?" Liam asked.

"No. My trail ended at Hellgate." Hao said regretfully.

"Well, that's still more than we knew. Thank you, Mappa. Mr and Mrs Asakura will be going with me to go check out another lead. In the mean time, you can ask the kids anything you'd like to know about Yoh. They're all friends of his and I think they'd know him best. Call me if you find out anything more." Liam said as he walked out the door.

XxX

Horohoro: Why did you name the hospital Hellgate?

Me: I was thinking of a random name and that's what popped up.

Horohoro: Horrid name for a hospital.

Me: Quite.

Horohoro: Please review.


	10. Story Time

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

The awkward stares were starting to annoy Hao. It seemed like Yoh's friends were deciding exactly what they intended to say to him. It was obvious that they were suspicious of him, they were probably suspicious at everyone at this point. Their friend was missing and the adults wouldn't let them help despite officially being considered adults as well. He didn't blame them, but still, he wanted answers.

"So, what is Yoh like?" Hao asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"I haven't heard anything about him. Was he a good person? Was he a bad person? Was he like his family? Was he different? What was he like? I just want to know more about him." Hao said simply.

"The best words to describe him would be lazy, carefree, and innocent. If he could have, he would've rather the servants in the household be his friends more than anything else. He hated the way his family treated those of lower class. Unfortunately, because he's the Asakua heir, people hate him for what his family has done. There are rumors spreading around that the Asakuras do some pretty awful stuff behind the scenes, added to the fact that their a family of nobles generally makes him the target of most people's hate." Ren sighed.

"Has he ever done anything to deserve that kind of hatred?" Hao asked.

"Of course not! Yoh is nice to the point of naïvety. He's isolated from others because of his family and we're the only ones who even can get close to him. Up until two years ago, he had no friends at all other than Matamune, his cat. Manta was his first human friend and the rest of us just happened to meet him later on. " Horohoro snapped.

"It would be different if you were talking about me, I know I've done plenty of thing to make others hate me, but the only thing Yoh's ever done was be born into that family." Ren said.

"Sorry, just asking." Hao said quickly.

"I don't blame you for thinking that. Yoh is different than most would think. He's already 18, but he still doesn't know anything about his family's legacy. His family thinks he's too childish to understand whatever it is. He has a fiancee, but she's more like a slave driver than anything. All of us feel sorry for him when it comes to her. He's never liked or kissed a someone and with her as his arranged bride to be, he'll probably never get to." Lyserg said.

"Oh." Hao said.

"He's terrified of snakes and he loves cats. His favorite food is curry udon and he loves oranges as well. Two more things about him are that he hates being a noble and he hates killing even more. Shortly after Yoh's sixteenth birthday..."

Xx(Flashback)xX

_Yoh giggled as he looked for Ren around the house. Despite all the birthday presents he had gotten a week prior, this was his favorite. All the others had given him books, candy, or oranges, but Ren, -in addition to giving him oranges- had said that he would be staying the week at his house. Ren's father had been pissed at first, but ended up giving in in the end. Now, the two of them were playing hide and seek due to much begging from Yoh. _

_As he ran around the garden searching for the purple haired teen, the rustle of bushes caught his attention. He giggled slightly as he crept behind the large, yellow leaved bush. He was hoping to scare Ren with a little surprise, a water balloon. He held a water balloon close as he drew closer. Once he was within firing range, he yelled "found you!" and tossed the balloon at the bush._

"_What the fuck?!"_

_Yoh flinched slightly at the angry tone. That certainly didn't sound like Ren._

"_Sorry!" Yoh said as he rushed over to see who had been hit with the bast of water._

_Much to his confusion it wasn't one of the guards or butlers that worked in the manner. The man before him looked old enough to be his uncle. He was fairly tall, well built, probably a construction worker or a fighter, He had spiky grey hair and a scruffy beard. He wore a pair of green overalls and a white shirt, now soaked from the water balloon. _

"_I thought you were someone else." Yoh said apologetically._

_The man looked up from his wet shirt and practically growled. "Are you the Asakura heir?"_

_Not really thinking about how smart it would be to answer, Yoh replied: "Yup."_

"_It's time for you to die, Asakura!" The man barked._

"_Die-?"_

_Yoh's eyes widened as the man suddenly pulled out a knife and charged at him. He turned to the side and quickly aimed a hit at the guy's wrist to make him drop the weapon. The knife fell the the ground with a soft thump, but the man didn't stop. He sent a kick to Yoh's chest, which pushed him back a bit. Luckily, Yoh managed to regain his balance before the man sent a punch to his gut._

_The man glared as he charged once more, but this time Yoh was expecting it. Instead of moving to the side to avoid it, he ducked down turned for a low spin kick to the knees. The man was thrown off balance by the attack and fell to the ground with a loud thump. His left knee had been dislodged from the attack, making it difficult for him to get back up._

"_You son of a... Just wait till I..."_

_Blaring red sirens cut the man off before he could say any more. Yoh's face paled as he glanced back to the house before looking down at the man with worry. His family would know now that someone had broken in and if the guy was caught, he'd die. Sure, the guy had just tried to kill him, but he didn't deserve to die for it. He probably had his reasons and if there was time later, Yoh intended to ask about them, but for now he just wanted to help the man escape._

"_Can you run?" Yoh asked quickly._

"_No, but what does it matter to you?" The man snapped._

"_Your going to need to run if you want to escape. Put your arm around my shoulder, I'll help you walk." Yoh replied._

"_I don't need help from someone like-"_

"_You don't want to die, do you?" Yoh said quickly._

"_No-"_

"_Then let me help you!" Yoh said._

_The man grudgingly put an arm around Yoh's shoulders and let him help him to his feet. Yoh glanced worriedly over his shoulder for any signs of being followed. He could hear police dogs barking in the background. Not good. He walked through a patch of herbs to hopefully throw the animals off their scent for a bit. The man just stayed quiet as he led him out of the garden._

_Once they reached the edge of the estate, the man would probably be fine on his own. Yoh's biggest concern was making it there without getting caught. After narrowly avoiding a few guards and making it past the bear traps, they finally managed to make it to the edge of the estate. Once Yoh was sure that there weren't any archers lying in wait, he carefully moved out of the guy's reach and took a step back._

"_The entrance to town is just a mile from here. Can you walk on your own?" Yoh asked._

"_Yea, I can make it." The guy mumbled._

"_That's good. I'll try to send their attention in another direction while you get away." Yoh said as he headed back to the forest._

"_Fine, but I've got one question before you go. Why did you help me?" The man asked._

"_Because I don't like seeing people die." Yoh said before running back to the forest._

_He grabbed a tree branch along the way and covered their tracks as he headed back to the garden. He couldn't hear the dogs barking anymore which both relieved and worried him. He hoped that they had gone off to search another path, not rush ahead. He hadn't run into any guards or policemen, which was starting to make him nervous._

_A blur of purple caught his attention, causing him to make an abrupt stop moments before running into his purple haired friend._

"_Ren? What are you doing here?" Yoh asked quickly._

"_I should be asking you the same thing. What are you doing here? Why were you trying to help the person who wanted to kill you?" Ren snapped._

"_Because I don't want to see him killed! I'm still alive, so there's no reason to lake away his life... You're not going to call the guards, are you?" Yoh said worriedly._

_Ren stared at him for a long moment before letting out a sigh. "I don't have to. They caught your trail a while ago. The guy's probably dead already."_

_Yoh's eyes widened in fear. "W-what?"_

_Without waiting for confirmation, he instantly ran back to the edge of the estate, ignoring the calls of his friend as he ran. When he arrived at the place he had last seen the man, he was horrified. The man was lying on the grass, clutching his shoulder in pain as a member of the X-Laws stood over him with a gun pointed directly at his head._

"_Sto-!"_

_A hand covered his mouth before he could finish the word._

"_Wait! It's too late to save him. You'll be tortured if you try!" Ren snapped._

"_I don't care! I need to help him!" Yoh said as he tried breaking away from Ren's hold._

"_There's nothing you can do." Ren said quietly._

"_Let go!"_

_Ren sighed as he covered Yoh's eyes. Yoh would probably be mad at him for weeks afterward, but at least this way, he wouldn't have to see someone die. He only wished that he could have blocked the sound of the gunshot._

Xx(End of flashback)xX

"Yoh blamed himself for the man's death. He made sure the guy's family left the kingdom safely, but he refused to talk to anyone for months. He's probably the only person I know who would get so upset over the death of someone who tried to kill him." Ren said.

'_So, Aura was right after all._' Hao thought as he considered what he had just heard.

He still hated his little brother for living his life in such ignorance, that much hadn't changed. However, now he was beginning to consider going about things a little differently. According to Yoh's friends and the story, he was a good person. That kind of thing could easily be used against someone. He wondered how Yoh would react when he learned what his family had done. Would he be upset, pissed off, or even horrified? Perhaps it would be fun to tell him exactly what his family had been hiding from him.

"You don't like nobles, do you?" Lyserg asked.

Hao eye widened in surprise at the question. To be honest, he had expected it, but he had expected it much sooner than this. Perhaps Liam simply didn't want to cause unnecessary problems by asking it earlier. It didn't really matter, if Lyserg was curious, then he'd answer. Of course, he might omit a few things in his response.

"No, I don't." Hao said simply.

"Then why do you write so much about them?" Lyserg asked suspiciously.

"I write about the darker side of the kingdom, about the events others would wish to have covered up. I want to show the kingdom that life isn't as peaceful as they think, I want them to know that the nobles are keeping secrets. Then, maybe, they'll start to doubt when a tragedy is passed off as nothing. I write while hoping that some day, someone will come and change the kingdom so that there will be nothing left for me to write." Hao replied.

"That's not a bad way of thinking." Manta commented.

"It isn't, but he's not telling us everything he knows either." Lyserg said.

"What do you mean?" Horohoro asked.

"He means... why would I help someone I hate? Like I said, I don't like nobles. Yoh is a noble. Therefor, why would I help him be found when it doesn't benefit me? Right, Lyserg?" Hao said with a smirk.

"Exactly." Lyserg replied.

"You're right, but your wrong. I told you everything I found out, all I did was keep my opinions to myself. However, as thanks for telling me about Yoh, I'll tell you what I think. There are a lot of people who hate the Asakuras. The kidnapper could have just been someone who was hired to do so, in which case... even if you find them, you won't necessarily find your friend." Hao said as he walked out the door.

Once Hao was gone, Mikihisa, Liam, and Keiko all climbed out of one of the closets.

"So?" Mikihisa said.

"Woa! Where did you guys come from?" Horohoro exclaimed.

"They never left, they just hid in the house to see how Mappa would react once they were gone." Lyserg explained.

"Why?" Manta asked.

"Mappa is known as a bit of a revolutionist among the kingdom. His ways of expressing his displeasure with the kingdom reside in his writing. It's a peaceful approach, so no one really complains. However, he is still known to hate nobility. I didn't know if he actually intended to help us or not." Liam explained.

"Is he a suspect?" Ren asked.

"Yes and no. I don't think he's the kidnapper, but it's not against the range of possibilities for him to be aware of who might be the actual criminal. If we could somehow get him to help us, he might be able to help us solve this case... and hopefully find Yoh."

XxX

Me: Cake!

Ren: Wtf?

Me: Cake.

Ren: Why are you saying cake?

Me: Cake.

Ren: This is beginning to get annoying.

Me: Cake in 3.

Ren: What?

Me: Please review.

Ren: Why were you talking about cake?!

Me: Cake in 3.

Ren: Grrr.


	11. Got a secret?

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

"the worst forms of torture are in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes pain can heal an older wound and kindness can create the deepest scar."

Aura's words circled in Hao's head as he made his way down the stairs to the basement. He still had yet to understand what Aura had meant by that. Not only that, but he was also contemplating what to do about Yoh. Physical torture would more than likely kill his twin if he wasn't careful and after the trouble he had gone through to bring Yoh back, he didn't want him to die too quickly.

He was considering going with the psychological torture thing Aura had mentioned. He didn't use that method too often, mainly because of the lack of physical pain it caused, but it seemed like the most effective way to tear the boy apart without doing it literally.

When he opened the door to his brother's cell, he found Yoh exactly where he left him, starving and with wrists chained to the wall. Yoh glanced up at him with a mix of worry and fear before his eyes trailed down to the bowl of food he was holding. The sudden growl Yoh's stomach made at the sight of the food made him wonder exactly how long it had been since his brother last ate, perhaps he had waited too long before trying to feed his twin.

"Hungry?" Hao asked, despite already knowing the answer.

Yoh just tugged at the chains on his wrist before nodding slightly.

Hao smiled as he pressed a spoonful of soup to Yoh's lips. After a moments pause, Yoh slowly opened his mouth and allowed himself to be fed. The action surprised Hao somewhat. This wasn't the first time he had kidnapped someone. To be precise, it was his 23rd. On thing that had been consistent with all of the previous prisoners was that when he tried to spoon feed them, they'd either glare at him or try to resist somehow.

Yoh was being much more compliant so far. He still looked highly embarrassed at the fact that he was being fed, but he didn't protest. Perhaps this was a part of his easygoing nature Ren had mentioned. It made things easier, that's for sure. When Yoh had finished eating, he seemed to look a little better. He didn't look as weak as he had before anyway.

"Hao..." Yoh said quietly.

"Hm?" Hao glanced up to show the other had his attention.

"W-what are you going to do with me?" Yoh asked warily.

The confusion and fear mixed in Yoh's eyes gave Hao an idea. It seemed like his little brother wasn't sure what to think of him yet. Sure, he had tried to kill Yoh when they first met, but then he told him that they were twins and for some reason that seemed to matter to his brother. Screwing with his mind would be too much fun... and he knew exactly how to start.

"I haven't decided yet. You're an Asakura, but according to your friends, you're not like the rest of the family. I'm not sure whether or not to punish you for what they've done or find some other course of action." Hao sighed.

"What the family has done? What do you mean?" Yoh asked.

"Oh? You mean... you don't know? They really didn't tell you?" Hao said in mock surprise.

"Tell me what?" Yoh asked nervously.

"The Asakura family secret. You see, Yoh, our dear family has been using small villages to test out their new poisons and remedies. They'd hire someone to sneak into the village late at night and infect someone with the virus. Give it a week and everyone would become ill with this fatal toxin. Then, they'd use the people who were infected to test out both possible cures and other various drugs."

"Sometimes they'd cure someone and keep them in the basement to test out their future creations. Once they were done with their experiments, they'd put the poor person out of their misery and pass it off as dying from the poison. As for the villages, some were completely wiped out while others were left with only a few survivors who more than often lost everything in an attempt to pay for the cost of the cure." Hao explained.

"W-what? They wouldn't do something like that! Sure, they may not be that nice to others, b-but they wouldn't kill all those people. That's just unthinkable!" Yoh exclaimed.

"Even for someone who abandoned their own child in the forest and left them to die?" Hao questioned.

"..."

Yoh froze at the statement. He didn't know how to respond to that and Hao knew it.

"It... could have been... an accident... ?" Yoh said quietly.

Hao smirked. "But you don't really think that, do you?" Hao whispered.

Yoh's mind desperately searched for some way to respond to Hao's question, to tell him that he was wrong, but he couldn't. The mere fact that Hao was standing there before him, that he'd had a brother he'd never been told about, instantly crushed and argument he may have had. His family had kept so many things from him and he'd seen the way they treated those in the lower class. What Hao had told him... he couldn't honestly say that it wasn't possible.

The creak of the heave metal door brought his attention back to his brother, who was about to leave. Hao said he was an assassin, but they were still twins, right? He had no idea what Hao had gone through in his life, but they were still brothers and he wanted to get to know him. No matter how bad Hao seemed, he must have some good in him... even if he did want the family dead.

Although, what the family had done... it was unforgivable. How many people had died because of his family? How many villages had been plagued and destroyed by the Asakuras? If he had tried harder to figure out what his parents were keeping from him, if he had known what they were doing, he might've been able to stop them. All those deaths, they were his fault too. The people who were killed by his family, he might've been able to save them.

"I'm sorry..." Yoh whispered.

Before closing the door, Hao glanced back inside the room, curious as to why Yoh had spoken. He had expected Yoh to be surprised and upset, but he didn't expect him to be so devastated. Did his little brother blame himself for what those bastards had done? Looking at him now, it certainly seemed like it. Yoh had his head hung low with his hair covering his eyes, but when Hao looked a little closer, he could see a few tears falling onto the cold cement.

He hadn't expected something like that to get his twin so distraught, his brother truly was an idiot. Although... In a way, it was kind of cute. Yoh would probably be up half the night crying like this. He was vulnerable... and that was just the way Hao wanted him.

"I'm sorry... I hurt you. I'm sorry that I wasn't there" Yoh said, his voice barely audible.

The sudden statement surprised Hao somewhat and he paused, staring at his twin in confusion. What the hell was he talking about? Did Yoh really think that he'd needed him when they were younger? Did he believe that by growing up while not knowing about him, he had somehow hurt him? How naïve. He was touched that Yoh considered him though.

Hao smirked as he closed the door and headed back up the stairs. Between his little brother, the detective, and whatever the Asakuras were planning, he wouldn't be bored for some time to come. He really needed to thank Sati for this assignment. Although, he wondered exactly how long it would take him to complete her little request. So far, none of the other Asakuras had come into the kingdom. His greatest problem would probably be figuring out what to do to make the family reunion to happen.

XxX

Me: *whistles happily while baking cake*

Ren: Not this again.

Horohoro: Cake in 2.

Ren: Don't tell me you're in on this?!

Horohoro: Nope. I have no idea what she's doing, she just asked me to say that to annoy you.

Ren: *facepalms*

Me: Please review.


	12. My Name Is

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Liam frowned as he walked down the street, followed by his son, Lyserg, and his two friends, Horohoro and Ren. It irked him that there were so few clues on the case so far. After following the lead to the hospital, they found the supposed woman and it turned out that she was just bringing her own sick child there. The woman had an alibi for the night of the kidnapping, sending them all back to square one.

In a way, kidnapping was almost as bad as murder, if not worse. At least with murder you knew if the person was dead or alive, with kidnapping it was unknown. Withe every passing day Keiko would become more distraught and Mikihisa would become even more on edge. Ren, Horohoro, and Lyserg weren't much different. Lyserg rarely spoke and Ren and Horohoro were both highly irritable.

He had hoped that bringing them with him to check out a possible clue might help, but it only seemed to make them more nervous. According to Seyram, who Hao said to be the one who told him about the kidnapper, there was some sore of commotion in town that night. He hoped that somebody might've seen the kidnapper while coming to see what the commotion was about. Sadly, no one claimed to have seen her.

"Liam, Ren, Horohoro, and Lyserg? What are you all doing out?"

When the four of them turned to see who had spoken, their eyes widened as they saw their fellow acquaintance, Mappa, the journalist. He seemed to be wearing more formal clothes then the last time they saw him. He wore a faded black suit with a white shirt underneath and a red tie around his neck. The black dress pants and shoes almost seemed to be a part of the over all suit. His ginger hair was tied back into a short ponytail, completing the image.

"Mappa? I'm surprised to see you here. Where are you headed all dressed up like that?" Liam asked curiously.

"Two reasons. First of all, I'm going to church. Secondly, a friend of mine is getting married later today and she asked me to be the ring bearer." Hao replied.

"Give my congratulations to your friend. Although, I wasn't aware you were the religious type." Liam said thoughtfully.

"I'm not, but I don't think it would hurt to go in and pray for her happiness. That, and I'd like to speak with a monk who happens to visit the church from time to time." Hao replied.

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you wish to meet this monk?" Liam inquired.

"I'd like to thank her for helping me out with something." Hao said with a smile.

"I see. I'm sorry for keeping you, but before you go, could you let me in on anything new you might've learned for the case?" Liam asked.

"Unfortunately, I haven't discovered anything I'm able to say just yet, but I think I'm getting close to something." Hao replied.

"Well, let me know you figure it out, Mappa." Liam said.

"I will." Hao called as he resumed his walk.

XxX

Hao sighed as he listened to the preacher preach about something like repenting for one's sins. If the preacher had known even one tenth of the things that he'd done in his life, the guy would no doubt call him a demon or tell him that he was going straight to hell when he died. Most people who learned of his true nature did. Of course, they were usually among his long list of victims, so none of them ever lived long enough to tell others.

He let out a silent sigh of relief as the man finished speaking and church was announced to be over. His eyes quickly scanned the room for the one he came to see. Ignoring the large angel statues decorating each wall and the dozens -if not hundreds- of people in the room, he eventually managed to locate the monk. She wasn't that hard to pick out of the crowd, her orange Buddhist robes made her really stand out from the rest of the people.

She appeared to be discussing something with the head priest, but he was to far away to hear. However, before he had the chance to walk over to greet her. He was stopped by a middle aged man who also seemed to stand out from among the crowd quite a bit. He had shoulder length dark brown hair and wore the same type of clothing as an ascetic monk.

"Excuse me, but do you have a moment?" The man asked.

Hao glanced over at Sati for a moment before looking back at the man. It wasn't actually necessary for him to speak with the female monk. He'd only intended to thank her because he felt like being polite, but he could easily find her again at another time if he wanted, not that he intended to. She probably wouldn't care that her request amused him so much, so there wasn't much of a point.

"Sure. What do you need?" Hao said politely.

"Well, I was wondering if you might be able to show me where the Asakura mansion is." The man replied.

"And why would you want to go there?" Hao asked curiously.

"Well I- Oh! I'm so sorry, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yohken Asakura, I'm the head of one of the higher branch families. As for why I'm here, my step brother called and told me to come over. He said that my nephew has has been kidnapped. The whole family has been called because of this." Yohken said.

"The entire family? That's intriguing. When do you think all of them will get here?" Hao asked curiously.

"I think I'm the first to arrive, but I know that everyone else will be here by tomorrow at the latest. The weather forecast is calling for storm clouds along the border to the kingdom. No planes or carriages will be willing to cross the long way here for some time after the storm." Yohken replied.

"I see. Interesting. Well, I'd be glad to show you the way, just follow me." Hao said with a smile.

"Wait, I didn't catch your name." Yohken said.

Hao paused as he looked back at the man he now knew to be his uncle. He supposed that the man had a right to know who his killer would be. "I'm sorry, it almost slipped my mind. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hao."

XxX

**Shadowzamy**:

Two chapters in one day, not all that common... oh well. Actually, I posted this chapter a little early as a notice and apology. For those of you who are currently waiting for updates on my other stories, I'm sorry for the delay. In all honesty, I seem to be having a bit of a block for ideas for my other stories at the moment. Due to this, it might take a little longer to update those stories and for that, I apologize.

As for this story, if gore is what you have been waiting for, there will be 'cake' in the next chapter. I have been attempting to put a bit more into this story than I usually do and it hasn't quite worked out as I planned. Please bear with me for a bit. This is my first horror fic and I am still working out a few things. I will try to update all of my stories soon. Thank you for reading and please review.


	13. The Show Begins

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

**WARNINGS**: Torture, Murder, Gore, Yaoi, Incest, Character Death... and possibly more later.

XxX

Dull streetlamps began to flicker as the sun lowered past the trees. The stone walkway shimmered in the low yellow light, reflecting the houses and sky in the small puddles left over from the previous night's rain. Houses and streetlamps were set up symmetrically along the sides of the road, each side a near mirror image of the other. The buildings were a rusty red with four windows showing inside, some had holes on the outer walls from the many years they'd been there.

The clatter of carriage wheels echoed off the relatively abandoned street, making a chorus of different clamors echo off the old buildings. It surprised Hao somewhat that Yohken had been so compliant to his requests along the way, such as going with him to the wedding and then agreeing to take the longer route to the Asakura estate which went though the old alley.

Judging by Yohken's calm, yet wary demeanor, it was more than likely that his uncle could tell something was off. What was surprising to Hao was that the man hadn't inquired about it, or tried to leave somehow. His uncle certainly was an interesting person, it was a bit of a shame that he had to kill him so soon. It might've even been nice to have a few conversations with him from time to time.

"Hao." Yohken said suddenly.

"Something wrong?" Hao asked curiously.

"If you're going to attack me, would you mind doing it soon? I can understand wanting to find a place where others won't notice, but I'd like to finish this before nightfall." Yohken replied.

Hao arched an eyebrow at the comment."You know I'm intending to attack you, yet you have no intention of trying to get away?" Hao inquired.

"No, I've had a lot of people attack me before. Some of them are even friends of mine now. Being the head of the martial arts section of the Asakura family usually leads to a lot of challengers and assassination attempts. You seem like an easy enough enough person to talk to. I wouldn't mind going out for coffee or something with you later, after I beat you." Yohken said simply.

"You're an interesting person, Yohken. Alright, in that case I know exactly where to go. It'll only take a minute to get there." Hao said with a smirk.

Yohken shrugged as he followed Hao to a slightly less worn down house compared to all the others. The house still had some holes in the walls and door, but they were relatively small. There were a few potted plants sitting on the front porch and a set of vines growing along the sides of the house. The plants weren't that big, but they definitely made a change in the house's atmosphere. Instead of seeming dark and gloomy like the houses around it, this house was far more lively.

"This house used to belong to the girl who got married today, but she moved out a few weeks ago to live with her fiancee." Hao said as he walked in the door.

"So this is where you intend to fight me?" Yohken said questioningly as he glanced around the empty house.

"I thought it would be a nicer to place to die than in some old alley. You're not half bad, but I still can't wait to see you dead." Hao said with a smile.

"You're a funny guy, Hao. I'm not going to die here. I'm going to beat you, then hopefully convince you to join my police team." Yohken said.

"I'm funny? I could say the same to you." Hao chuckled.

Hao let the last of his kind side vanish at the end of the comment, willing his expression to become void of all emotions before he made his attack. Despite the fact that Yohken seemed to have anticipated the kick, it still managed to to make a solid hit on his stomach. Perhaps his uncle wanted to gauge his strength, or he might've simply considered it a sort of greeting between fighters.

After recovering from the blow, Yohken began to fight back. Hao dodged to the side as a fist came swinging towards his temples. He spun around, outstretching his leg mid swing in an attack aimed for the other's ribs. However, before it could make contact, Yohken reached out and grabbed his ankle. Hao merely smirked as he twisted his body, using his other leg to land a hit directly at the man's throat.

Yohken stumbled back slightly from the hit, but managed to keep his hold on Hao's ankle. Immediately after regaining his balance, he yanked back on Hao's leg, forcing the teen's head to collide with the hard wooden floor. He felt slightly guilty when he saw the other teen groan in apparent pain. If he hadn't known that the other was quite obviously trying to kill him, he might have uttered a small apology.

Hao growled under his breath as he got back to his feet, he was done playing. His fight with Yohken had been amusing, but now it was about time for the real pain to begin. He waited for Yohken's next hit before moving. He grabbed the other's fist with one hand before pulling him closer and using his other hand to aim a fist directly at the other male's solar plexus.

Yohken fell back as a result of the hit, gasping slightly as his lungs attempted to recover from the blow, not that Hao had any intention of letting that happen. The moment the man's back hit the hardwood floor, he reached over and tore off a leg off a nearby chair before forcefully shoving it into Yohken's shoulder, smirking at the other's cry of pain as he was practically nailed to the floor.

"Well, looks like I won after all." Hao said as he leaned over his uncle, resting his arms on the pole currently forcing the other into the floor.

"You... said before that you didn't think I was... half bad... if that was so, then why did you say... you wanted to see me dead?" Yohken coughed.

"Oh? That's right. I haven't fully introduced myself yet, have I?" Hao said with an amused spark in his eyes.

"My name is Hao..." Hao said as he pulled off the ginger wig. "Asakura Hao."

"W-What? How? Yoh?" Yohken muttered as Hao took out the blue contacts.

"Sorry, but my otouto is a little chained up at the moment. I'd be happy to give him a message for you though." Hao said casually.

Yohken's eyes widened as he studied the teen before him, looking for any signs that this might be another disguise of some sort, but to his horror, he found none. Was this truly Keiko's forsaken child? How could he have survived all those years? Had Yohmei been right about... No, he refused to believe that old man's superstitions. It was impossible for demons to exist in reality, for a child to be born with an evil soul. If Hao was a demon like those old fools believed, then he was a demon that they created.

Yohken knew from experience that an escape from his current position was slim. The most he could do was give a message and hope for a miracle.

"...Tell him I'm sorry that I couldn't tell him about you and that I had to keep things from him. Tell him, that I hope he'll forgive me for what I've done in my life... and please, don't kill him." Yohken pleaded.

"I'll do what I want with my dear brother, Yohken. However, as thanks for complying to my requests earlier, I'll let you die knowing that I don't intend to kill him just yet. Consider that knowledge my farewell gift, uncle." Hao replied.

Hao hummed thoughtfully as he reached into his bag and pulled out a small black dagger. The ink-colored metal almost seemed to glow in the dimly lit room. A soft smile formed on his lips as he ran a finger along the blade's sharp surface, recalling all the memories of when the dagger had been stained a brilliant red. Yohken would be his first victim. As such, he intended to make the man's death a warning to the others.

Hao placed the tip of the knife at the base of Yohken's neck and pressed down slightly, allowing some crimson liquid to seep out beneath the skin. He created a few shallow cuts across the neck, careful not to get to close to any lethal areas. Eight small letters formed along the base, creating both a single word and a peace to the puzzle he had planned.

"What are you going to do?" Yohken demanded, though his fear could easily be seen by the way he was shaking. He was probably scared for his life right about now... and he was right to be.

"Do you even need to ask?" Hao asked innocently.

Without another word, Hao plunged the dagger down the man's stomach, tearing through through the thick muscle like it was made of butter. Yohken let out a muffled scream as he pealed back the bloody flesh, revealing the fragile organs beneath.

"That's enough!" Yohken cried, his face contorted with pain and fear.

Hao simply smirked as he ignored the cries and stared thoughtfully at one particular vital sign, finding some amusement in watching it twitch before him. So, the Asakura had a heart after all. He reached out towards the bloody organ, caressing it gently. '_Chicchai na._' Hao thought as he watched the blood pulse through the veins.

Suddenly recalling that he was short on time, Hao continued what he had been doing before. Using his other hand, he reached into the tear and began pulling out the small intestines. Yohken coughed up blood as he accidentally cracked the man's ribcage, but he didn't care, he'd kill his uncle soon enough.

While still holding the rope-like organ, he walked a little ways away from the barely conscious Asakura and began creating a five-point star of flesh around the body, a nice, gruesome sight for the detective and the other Asakuras to see when they arrived. Once he was done with that, he walked over to the chair he had broken earlier and broke off another leg from it.

The wood had broken similarly to the other piece, breaking off about half way and creating a sharp jagged edge at the end. He swiftly shoved the end of the wooden stake into the man's other shoulder, waiting until he heard the the crack of the floorboards beneath before letting it go. Yokken hadn't screamed this time, but that was most likely due to the fact that it was all of the man's energy to stay conscious. It was a miracle he wasn't dead yet.

"What's wrong, uncle? You don't look well." Hao said in a tone of mock concern as he examined his elder.

Yohken would die of blood-loss soon, but he wasn't going to let things end in such a boring way. Of course... he couldn't risk having Yohken tell anyone who he was either. He brought the dagger up to Yohken's mouth and cut into the man's tongue, severing that means of communication. Yohken sputtered, choking on his own blood as he stared up at him with horrified eyes.

Now that the stage was set, it was time to start the show.

Hao took in a deep breath, centering himself before letting out a ear-piercing scream. The sound was no doubt heard by half the block and it would take only a matter of minutes before someone came to check it out. The confusion in Yohken's eyes was hilarious. It probably would have been funny to stay and see how the unfortunate person would react when they came in to see the dying man, but he couldn't risk being seen just yet.

He opened the back window and jumped out seconds before he heard the door swing open. Yohken would die within the next few minutes. It didn't matter if the best doctor in the world rushed to his aid, Hao made sure that it was impossible to save him. Yohken would either die drowning in his own blood, or of the blood-loss itself.

Hao smiled as he glanced back at the house, where he heard another shriek of terror coming from inside. It was only a matter of time before the police and the detective were called. He chuckled at the thought of what the reactions of the Asakuras would be when they learned that the head of one of the highest branch houses had been murdered.

"Looks like the fun can finally begin." Hao mused as his form faded into the darkness of the night.

XxX

Me: *sings happily* Cake!

Ren: What is 'cake' anyway?

Me: Cruentate And Killing Excess. C.A.K.E

Ren: O.o

Me: ^^

Ren: Why do you feel the need to create weird meanings for things?

Me: Fufu. Just wait until it gets to 'Love'

Ren: Dare I ask?

Me: Maybe in another chapter.

Ren: Please review.


	14. The First Crime Scene

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Eliza smiled lightly as she covered Hao with a blanket, careful as not to wake the teen. She was thankful that her new husband had been understanding and let Hao stay the night, even though it was supposed to be their honeymoon. Although, Faust had no idea that Hao was an assassin, all he knew was that Hao was a journalist for the Midnight Journal.

She wasn't fond of keeping things from her husband, but she didn't wan to put him in danger either. Of course, danger or not, she would never lie to him. There was no doubt in her mind that if she told Faust everything, he'd accept it without hesitation. That was just how much they loved and trusted one another. That was also why she wasn't going to tell him unless she needed to, there was no need for him to be in unnecessary danger.

If someone had told her back when she was younger that one day she would be helping a cold blooded murderer, she would have called them insane or schizophrenic and gotten them the appropriate mental help. However, there she was, pulling a blanket over said killer like a mother would her child. Hao had told her how the Asakuras where his blood family and what he intended to do to them, but she still felt the need to protect him.

How exactly she had come to help the teen was -to this day- a mystery to her, but she didn't regret it. Perhaps it was because she had known Hao's adoptive mother before she died. Perhaps it was because she'd watched him grow up. Perhaps it was because at some point during his life... she had started to see him as her own son.

"Is he asleep?" A quiet voice inquired from within the doorway.

Eliza smiled as she turned to face her beloved.

"Yes, Johann. Thank you for letting him stay." Elisa said softly.

"Anything for you, my love." Faust replied with a happy smile.

Eliza walked quietly over to Faust. Once she was close enough, she wrapped her arms around him and leaned into his chest, letting out a happy sigh as he returned the embrace.

"Although, my curiosity begs me to ask. How is it that you know Mappa?" Faust asked curiously.

Eliza paused in mid-confusion for a moment. It was still strange for her to hear others refer to Hao as Mappa. His name had changed three times since she had first met him as a child, but Mappa was the only name she couldn't get used to.

"I knew his adoptive mother, she was a friend of mine. After she died, I somewhat took him in as my own." Elisa replied.

"Have you ever thought of officially adopting him? I would be glad to have a new member to the family if that's what you want, my dear." Faust cooed.

"I would love to, Johann... You have no idea how much I would like that, but we can't." Eliza said sadly.

"Why not?" Faust asked, concern seeping into his voice.

"His biological parents are still around and they've never officially written something saying that they've disowned him. To them, he's dead. Unfortunately, I can't legally adopt him without their permission. If I tried getting permission or talking to them about him, they'd try to have him killed like they did 18 years ago. Even though he'd legally an adult, law stated that until he's 20, he's still in his parent's care." Eliza said quietly.

"You seem to know who the parents are. Why not let me try and persuade them? I'm sure there must be something that'll get them to come around. Who are they?" Faust asked.

Eliza held on tightly to his shirt, nuzzling her face even deeper to his chest.

"Please... don't ask me that." Eliza mumbled.

"Of course, my love. I won't press you. You can tell me whenever you are ready." Faust said as he led her back to their room.

"Thank you."

XxX

Liam frowned slightly as he walked over to the witness, who was sitting at the base of the staircase, wide eyed and shuddering every other minute. The poor kid was traumatized. According to the police statement, the girl had run into the house after hearing a high pitched scream and entered to find Asakura Yohken, dying on the living-room floor.

The kid had been so scared afterwords that she barely spoke. It took over an hour for the police to learn her name. Because of that, Liam had done something he normally wouldn't have, he brought Lyserg with him to the crime scene. He allowed Lyserg to follow him to other crime scenes where thefts and attacks had happened, but never an actual murder case before. He left Lyserg to interview the kid while he went to go inspect he crime scene.

The house still looked slightly homey, despite the fact that the previous tenant had moved out several weeks ago. It would probably have looked a lot nicer if there wasn't blood and entrails decorating the floor. It only made it all the more gruesome when he thought about how the police statement had said that Yohken died after the witness found him. The criminal must have been either insane or had an extreme grudge against the man to do this while he was still alive.

Written with the man's small intestines was a five point star which surrounded the body. Eight letters were carved on his neck which spelled out the word "Forsaken". The message itself was disturbing enough, but it was made even more so by the fact that before Yohken died, he spelled out the words "I'm sorry" on the ground with his own blood. Though Liam had searched through several records and questioned the other Asakuras personally, no one knew what the two messages could mean.

'_Was Yohken apologizing to the girl, because she had to see his death... or was he apologizing to the killer for some reason?_' Liam thought.

Yohken had many enemies back in his home city and one of the things he was known for was being willing fight his attackers alone. This meant that it was more than likely that he could have followed the attacker here and let them challenge him. Liam's greatest concern at the moment was finding out if Yohken's death and Yoh's kidnapping were connected. It was highly unlikely that they weren't somehow related, but he had yet to discover how.

XxX

Lyserg smiled softly and offered the girl a cup of hot chocolate. He could only imagine what she must be going through after seeing that. He personally hadn't seen the body, but after hearing the whispers of the police around them, he could only guess what it must have looked like. The little girl seemed to like him well enough and the hot chocolate seemed to be calming her down.

"I'm sorry, but I have to ask. What happened exactly, Millie?" Lyserg asked cautiousy.

Millie froze momentarily, looking up at him with terrified eyes. He felt bad for having to ask her it, but he really needed to know. There might be something it what she saw which could help then solve the case.

"I-I was on my way home... I knew mom was going to be pissed since I stayed out so late, so I was in a hurry. I as only a block away from my house when I heard the scream. Others seemed to have heard it too, but no one left their houses to find out what it was. When I opened the door to the house..." Millie trailed off, suddenly getting a very scared look in her eyes.

"It's alright, you can tell me." Lyserg said reassuringly.

"...I heard really raspy breathing. I... walked over to the living-room when I saw him, lying on the floor with his chest and stomach cut open and intestines dragged out of his body. I screamed and he looked at me like he was shocked. I didn't know whether to run away or towards him, but since he was still alive I chose the second option. I slowly walked over to him." Millie said quietly.

"Did he say anything?" Lyserg asked.

"No... He couldn't. Whoever did that to him cut out his tongue. He wrote the word 'forsaken' on the floor before looking up at me. I think he wanted me to do something... but I didn't know what to do. He started coughing really bad and gasping like he couldn't breathe. I think... he was choking on his own blood. I turned his head to the side to try and stop him from choking, but it didn't work. He died soon after that." Millie explained.

"I see, you must have been through a lot-" Lyserg began.

"I'm not done." Millie cut in.

"Sorry. What happened after that?" Lyserg asked.

"After I realized that he had died, I screamed. I screamed the loudest I could, hoping that someone would come to help... and someone did. A boy burst through the door moments later. He called out the man's name worriedly before rushing into the living-room. He looked just as terrified as I was... but he seemed to know the man lying on the ground. He asked me what happened and I told him. After I had finished explaining, he left to go get the police."

"Ten minutes later, the cops showed up. They tried asking me so many things all at once and I couldn't take it, I passed out and woke up here about two hours ago. The boy told me before he left that he was going to see a detective today and tell them what he saw." Millie said.

"Thank you, Millie. I believe that we are almost done here, so it would be alright for you to go home." Lyserg said softly.

"Thanks and good luck on solving this case, mr detective."

XxX

Me: Please review.

Ren: Don't you have anything more interesting than that to say?

Me: Not really.

Ren: I thought you normally try to make your authors notes worth reading.

Me: I still have homework to do, otherwise I would. Collage isn't easy, you know.

Ren: Excuses. Excuses.

Me: ...*writes a shirtless Horohoro into the authors note*

Horohoro: Why am I here?

Me: Ren wanted me to make the authors note more interesting, so I brought you here.

Horohoro: And how is my appearance supposed to help?

Me: *points to random person's closet* Take Ren over to that closet and start doing x-rated things to him.

Ren & Horohoro: What!?

Me: *waits patiently*

Horohoro & Ren: *blushes*

Me: '_Well, at least now they're quiet._' *leaves authors note*


	15. What to Think

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

The creak of a heavy metal door turned Yoh's attention the the other male, who'd just entered the room. It'd been at least a day since he last saw his twin, maybe longer, yet something seemed to have changed in his brother's gaze. Instead of looking at him with with the pure hatred he'd once had, now there was only mild anger and curiosity.

'_What could have changed in the time he's been gone?_' Yoh thought as Hao walked over to him.

"Yoh, I've got a message for you." Hao said as he took a seat next to his twin.

Yoh looked up at Hao with a spark of confusion in his eyes. "A message?"

"Yes, from Yohken. Consider it his last words if you will." Hao said with a smirk.

"His _last_ words? Y-you didn't..." Yoh breathed.

"I told you before that I intend to kill _all_ of the Asakuras. He was a good fighter, I was just a lot better." Hao said casually.

'_He's dead?_' Yoh thought with wide eyes.

Yoh had never been particularly close with most of his family, but Yohken was different. Back before he had any friends, his uncle was the only one he could talk to. The man could be hard headed and overconfident at times, but he never seemed to care what class a person was from. It didn't matter if it was a pheasant or the king himself. If someone challenged him, he'd willingly accept.

Being the head of one of the martial arts branches of the family made him the head of the police department in his city. The main reason others disliked him was because, despite being a bit of a wild card, he still followed the orders of the main branch. Rumor had it that he knew what the family was up to and he helped them out with it when they asked him. Even knowing this, Yoh was heartbroken. Yohken had been the only one to actually treat him like family.

Tears formed in his eyes as he recalled all the fun times he had spent with his uncle. One of his favorite memories was of when he was little and Yohken decided that it would be a good idea to take him out camping. The trip had been absolutely chaotic, but fun all the same. Yohkien ended up setting up the tent right below a bee's nest, leaving them incapable of returning to it without getting heavily stung.

However, despite knowing that, Yohken still ran back inside to get a pair of orange headphones, which he gave to Yoh as a birthday present the next day. Yohken was the one who taught him the basics of fighting as well as how to fish and hunt. The one thing Yoh always looked forward to in the family reunions was the chance to see his uncle again... Now he'd never get to.

"Well?" Hao said, lifting Yoh's chin so that their dark eyes met. "Do you want to hear what he said or not?"

Yoh bit back the sob bubbling in the back of his throat. No matter how much he wanted to cry right now, he refused to do so in the presence of the other. If Hao knew how much this bothered him, he might feel the need to tell him about every time he killed and that was something Yoh just wouldn't be able to take. Instead, he gave Hao a silent nod in response to the question.

"He said that he's sorry for not telling you about me and that he had to keep things from you. He hoped you'd forgive him for what he's done in his life." Hao said as he glanced around the room halfheartedly.

'_Yohken... knew?_' Suddenly, the pain and sorrow he was feeling melted into a new-found confusion.

He'd thought he knew everything about his uncle. Well, maybe not _everything_, but he thought he knew enough to say that Yohken wouldn't have kept secrets from him. Apparently, he'd been wrong in that assessment as well. That made him wonder... How much did he really know about his family? Before he was taken, he'd known that the Asakuras were a noble family of herbalists... Then Hao came into the picture and completely shattered those thoughts.

For once in his life, he truly didn't know what to believe.

XxX

Seeing Yoh so heartbroken and confused filled Hao with a dark sense of delight. His twin was finally getting the reality check he so desperately needed. Although, at the same time, he felt a small twinge of sympathy. He had been in Yoh's position before. Granted, not a situation where he was chained in a prison-like basement with risk of loosing his family to a killer intent on revenge... but he knew what it was like to be lied to, to be hurt, to feel betrayed.

It probably wouldn't hurt too much if he decided to humor his sensitive side just this once.

"Yoh." Hao whispered, breaking Yoh out of his reverie.

The tone was unlike what Yoh had heard from him before. Instead of the amused, dark, or mocking tone he usually heard from his twin, this one was calm and soothing, almost like the other was trying to comfort him somehow. The way he said his name wasn't like one would speak to an enemy, but like how one would speak to a frightened sibling.

"Have you ever been... _alone_ before?" Hao asked softly.

Yoh would've laughed at the question if he wasn't trying so hard not to let his pain show. However, he still couldn't stop a small, broken smile from forming on his lips at the inquiry. "...You have no idea."

"I might." Hao said quietly.

It was then that Yoh looked at his twin, _truly_ looked at him. He could see that for a brief moment, Hao's anger seemed to have burned off, revealing only the pain and loneliness beneath. The same loneliness Yoh saw every time he looked in the mirror for the first 16 years of his life. Maybe... Hao actually _could _relate. They knew little about each other, but loneliness didn't lie. Perhaps, somehow, their lives were similar in that aspect?

"Maybe... You know, I wonder if it would have been nice growing up together. I'd like it if we could still be family." Yoh whispered.

Yoh flinched as he saw the spark of anger return in Hao's eyes. It was strange. Were Hao's moods normally like this, or had he said something to irritate his twin?

"Yoh, would you like to talk to your friends?" Hao inquired.

Yoh paused, looking up at Hao warily. What the hell? The moment his twin's irritation returns he asks if he wants to speak to his friends? He really had no idea what was going through Hao's head. Of course he wanted to talk to his friends, but not if it would involve getting one of them killed in the process.

Seeming to notice his brother's worries, Hao clarified. "If you want, I'll let you call them. Of course, I'll be here to make sure you don't say anything you shouldn't, but that wouldn't matter to you, would it? So, would you like to call them or not?"

"...Yes." Yoh replied.

Hao smiled at the reply. "Alright then, I'll be back tomorrow and you can call them then. Unfortunately, I'm a little too busy to do it today."

From the corner of his eye, Hao could see a look of confusion spread across his brother's face. No doubt Yoh was wondering why he had suddenly decided to let him speak to his friends. His brother had probably guessed that it wasn't just because of a change of heart. Though he wasn't going to tell his twin the reason. For one thing, it would be boring, and for another, the boy simply didn't need to know.

XxX

Me: *looks around* I wonder where Ren and Horohoro went.

Yoh: *facepalms*

Me: What?

Yoh: *points to random person's closet*

Me: Oh.

Yoh: Please review.


	16. Phone Call

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Yoh swallowed nervously as Hao shifted his weight onto his lower abdomen. He knew that Hao said he would stay to make sure he didn't say anything about him, but he hadn't expected Hao to straddle him. He squirmed a bit under the pressure, not liking how helpless he felt under the other. His elder brother looked more than a little pleased at the mild discomfort he was feeling, which led him to wonder if that was the sole reason why he was doing it.

"So. Who do you want to call?" Hao asked as he held up a small, black cellphone.

"Ren." Yoh mumbled.

"His number?" Hao inquired.

Yoh hesitated. He wasn't fond of the idea of just giving Ren's cellphone number to Hao... but then again, what was the harm? Hao already knew where to find Ren and the others if he wanted to do anything. Not to mention how he wouldn't be able call them if he didn't tell him the number.

"xxx-xxx-xxxx" Yoh sighed.

Hao smirked as he typed in the numbers, waiting until a ring could be heard on the other end before switching it to speaker phone and pushing it closer to Yoh.

-Hello? Who is this?- Came the cautions response.

"Ren?" Yoh breathed. His eyes teared slightly and a smile formed on his face. He could hear his friend's voice... the same cautious tone of the other told him that he was fine.

-Yoh?!-

Yoh could almost imagine the shocked response on the other's face right now. By the sound of shuffling that could be heard from the other end, he guessed that Horohoro and Lyserg were probably there too. His friends were no doubt worried sick about him... he didn't want to make their fear any worse. He calmed his breathing and tried bringing out his usual carefree tone.

"Hey guys. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Yoh replied.

-It's been a while? You've been fucking kidnapped! Do you you have any idea how worried we were?-

Yoh flinched at Horohoro's harsh tone. He hadn't meant to make them worry.

"Sorry. Don't worry though, it'll work out somehow." Yoh said, hoping that the phrase would be able to reassure them.

-What the- Ouch! Ren, What was that for?-

Yoh giggled softly as he thought about what could have happened. Ren probably guessed that something was off and hit Horohoro to make him shut up. Ren always was good at being able to tell when he was hiding something. Though Ren didn't act like it, he was a lot nicer than most people thought. The purple haired teen probably didn't want him to feel bad about making them worry.

-Ignore Boroboro. He's just moody because Pirika got a boyfriend. So, how have you been?-

Ren's attempt at a casual tone was a good one, most probably wouldn't have been able to tell the difference, but to Yoh it was obvious he was faking.

"I'm ok. I miss you guys though." Yoh said quietly.

-Are you scared?-

The concerned tone was obviously Lyserg's, he was the only one who would ask that in this situation. Both Ren and Horo would've asked something different. Yoh bit his lower lip at the inquiry. They wouldn't believe him if he said that he was completely fine, Ren and Lyserg especially... but he didn't want to say the truth either.

"A little." Yoh whispered.

-How the hell did you get kidnapped anyway?-

Ok, Ren was back. The blunt, yet curious tone was no doubt his.

Yoh glanced warily at Hao, silently asking if it was alright for him to tell. He wanted his friends to know what happened, but he didn't want to say something that would piss off his twin. Much to his relief, Hao nodded in approval. Apparently, as long as he didn't say anything to describe him directly, it was alright.

"I was chasing after Matamune when I was suddenly yanked back. He pinned me down while I was disoriented from the fall. I managed to get out of his grip and fight back... but then my arm got cut. I staggered and he pushed me back onto the ground. I got the knife of of his hands, though it didn't do much good. He wrapped his hands around my neck and... I'm sure you guys can guess what happened after that." Yoh replied.

Hao smirked as Yoh told them what happened, like his elder twin had enjoyed the memory.

-Yoh... do you think you can tell us about you kidnapper? Can you describe anything about him to us?- Lyserg asked cautiously.

Yoh bit his lower lip as he stared at his brother. He supposed that he could _try_ to tell them... but what would Hao do to him if he did? The smirk on the elder's face was still apparent... he wasn't concerned in the slightest that he would tell them. Why was he so confident? The confusion in his gaze must have been apparent, because after that, Hao chuckled silently.

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as Hao placed his free hand at his collar bone, tracing his nail gently across the delicate skin. His breaths quickened as he felt the finger run along the side of his neck, pausing to trace where the hand-marks had once been. When the nail reached the base of his jawline, he flinched. Hao pulled back his hand before looking back down at him, a close eyed smile took over the elder twin's expression.

Yoh recognized the veiled threat and understood why it was that Hao wasn't worried. There was no need to be. If Hao felt like he was going to say anything that might harm him, all he had to do was end the call... or take his life.

"No." Yoh said as he watched his brother warily.

-Why not? If we knew more about him, then we might be able to find you.- Lyserg pressed.

Yoh glanced up at the chains binding his wrist's and sighed. "Lyserg, my wrists are currently chained above my head... I can barely move my hands. Now, who do you think is holding the phone?"

-...He's there with you?- Ren whispered.

"Yea... I don't know why he let me call you guys, but I can't say anything useful about him unless I want to die." Yoh replied.

'Alright, we won't ask you about him. But I do have something else to ask.'

"What?" Yoh asked.

-What did he do to you to make you so terrified? Don't bother trying to pass it off as nothing, I know you better than that. You've been kidnapped before, but you were never this quiet back then. You're a hell of a lot more than 'a little' scared.-

Yoh smiled sadly. So, Ren could tell after all.

"Just knowing who he is... is scary enough."

Yoh's eyed widened as Hao flipped the black cellphone shut, ending the call.

'_Shit_.'

XxX

Me: Please review.


	17. Conflictions

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Yoh looked at Hao with wide eyes, fearing that he might've said something to anger his brother. However, to his surprise, there was only a mild amusement visible in the elder twin's expression.

"Oh? And how exactly is knowing who I am scary enough?" Hao inquired.

"I didn't mean it like that." Yoh said quickly.

"Then how did you mean it?" Hao asked curiously.

"It would be one thing for a stranger to take me, but for it to be you, my twin brother, is just..." Yoh trailed off, not really knowing how to put his thoughts into words.

"You actually think of me as your brother? Even after what I've done?" Hao chuckled.

"Yes." Yoh replied instantly.

That made Hao stop laughing. Why was it that Yoh didn't hate him? He'd almost killed him when they first met. He chained him up in this room and left him there for days at a time, alone with only the the occasional spider as company. He'd been anything but kind to him since the boy regained consciousness. After that, how could he still consider him a brother?

He could tell by the way Yoh trembled when he got too close that he was scared of him, he probably feared being suffocated again. Despite that, he didn't back away when he tried to touch him. That irritated him a bit, though he wasn't completely sure as to why.

Curious to see how the other would react, Hao leaned forward and placed both his hands at the base of the other's neck, digging his nails into the skin slightly. Yoh trembled beneath him, most likely recalling the memory of the last time he was in a similar position. He made sure his hold was firm, but not choking him this time, just enough to bring back that memory.

What happened next only furthered his irritation. Yoh closed his eyes as if waiting for him to kill him. He didn't try kicking or throwing him off, he just stayed still. Yoh breathed out a sigh of relief when he let go, indicating that he didn't have some sort of death wish, but why hadn't he struggled?

"Why didn't you fight back?" Hao asked calmly.

Yoh paused for a moment, contemplating his response before he spoke.

"...There was nothing I could do. At most, all I could have done was momentarily stall or injure you and I didn't want to hurt you." Yoh replied.

''_I didn't want to hurt you._'' A vein twitched as the last part of his little brother's response reached his ears. Was the kid even capable of anger? He'd killed someone that his brother cared about, yet Yoh didn't seem to hold any feelings of hatred towards him. It was like the boy existed for the sole purpose of confusing him. Normally Hao rarely showed his true emotions, but all it took was one sentence from Yoh to irritate him.

But the one thing that pissed him off the most was... he didn't hate his twin like he did the Asakuras.

In more ways than one, Yoh was like his reflection. He could see a lot of who he used to be when he looked at his twin. The innocent child who knew nothing of how cruel the world could be. Knowing what the other was like, how kind and innocent his spirit was... made him _yearn_ to taint it. There was just something about having such an pure soul so close to him that made him want to plunge it into the darkest of colors.

Did he love Yoh? Did he hate him? He really wasn't sure. He didn't like questioning his own thoughts, so instead he decided to go with what he did know. He wanted the Asakuras dead. Yoh was not an Asakura in his mind, so he could decide what to do about him later. For the time being, he was pissed off, craving blood, and needing someone to take it out on... Probably not a good idea to be around his twin at the moment.

Without another word he got off of Yoh, walked out the door, and slammed it shut behind him. He didn't care about wearing the disguise anymore, it would take less than a day before Liam would figure out that 'Mappa' killed Yohken anyway. Not only that, but he couldn't wait to see how his dear family would react when they learned exactly _who_ it was that was killing them off.

XxX

Liam stared at the three boys with wide eyes, still trying to grasp what he had just heard. According to the three of them, Yoh called Ren earlier that evening. He didn't doubt what the kids said, it was just slightly difficult for him to reason out why the kidnapper would let Yoh call. Perhaps, after hearing what Yoh said, he might be able to find a reason.

"So, what exactly did Yoh say?" Liam asked.

"Not much." Lyserg said.

"He said hi and that he missed us." Horohoro replied.

"After that he just answered the questions we asked him." Lyserg said slowly.

"And what did all of you ask him?" Liam asked.

"Yoh said 'a little' when Lyserg asked if he was scared. Then, I asked how the hell he got himself kidnapped." Ren replied.

"And?" Liam pressed.

"His exact words were: 'I was chasing after Matamune when I was suddenly yanked back. He pinned me down while I was disoriented from the fall. I managed to get out of his grip and fight back... but then my arm got cut. I staggered and he pushed me back onto the ground. I got the knife of of his hands, but it didn't do much good. He wrapped his hands around my neck and... I'm sure you guys can guess what happened after that." Lyserg explained.

"Then Lyserg asked if he could describe the kidnapper. Yoh told us that he couldn't because the kidnapper was holding the phone and that he'd kill him if he said anything." Horohoro said.

"After that I asked him what the guy did to make him so scared. The entire time he was on the phone he was quiet and skittish, so I was concerned." Ren said quietly.

"What did he say?" Liam asked.

"Just knowing who he is is scary enough." All three of them replied.

To most, the conversation probably wouldn't have been all that helpful, but to Liam it just pointed out several key facts. First, now he knew for sure that the kidnapper was male. Second, like he had first thought, the man was a skilled fighter. Lastly, Yoh must have either known or heard of the kidnapper somehow to say that just knowing him would be scary. All of that, along with the data he had discovered earlier about Mappa, made him 90% sure that the journalist was indeed the culprit.

"Father, do you know why the kidnapper let Yoh call?" Lyserg asked.

"There are two possible reasons. Depending on how sadistic the kidnapper is, they could have let him call to say any final words before he intended to kill him... But it was most likely just to let us know that he's alive. Speaking of the kidnapper, believe I know who it is." Liam said.

"Mappa?" Lyserg asked.

"Yes. Tomorrow I'll be going with the X-Laws to apprehend him."

XxX

Me: *says in mysterious voice* The encounter...

Ren: What?

Me: Fufufu

Ren: Don't give me that 'fufufu' crap! What the hell are you talking about?

Me: *smiles evilly*

Ren: Tell me!

Me: Take a guess.

Ren: If I could guess, then I wouldn't be asking!

Me: Please review.

Ren: Stop ignoring me!


	18. The Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

The street leading into the lower class section of the city was a lot busier than usual, Ren noted, as he glanced at the crowd of people passing into the middle class area. Instead of the many tumbleweeds and occasional horse carriage which passed through, the street was crowded with people of all ages. Most were heading to a certain journalist's house. He, on the other hand, merely continued his walk into the lower class area.

He'd been to the lower class twice before, both times were to get away from his annoying father. The people in the lawless area were a lot easier to get along with than the nobles for some reason. He was intending on staying the whole day there because things would most likely be chaotic back in the noble area of the city. At least while he was in the lawless zone he wouldn't have to bother with political arguments.

His shoes scraped across the cement as he walked, his eyes scanning the area in search of anything that seemed remotely interesting. As he walked by an old corner, a blur of chestnut came into his sight. That was also the only warning he received before something crashed into him, pushing him back and onto the street.

"Urk... Sorry about that." The guy mumbled as he got to his feet.

"Watch where you're-"

Ren's jaw dropped, the rest of the sentence suddenly forgotten as the teen's long hair moved aside and he was able to see the other's face. Standing before him was someone practically a mirror image of Yoh. Noting the similarities would've taken too long, so he began looking at the differences instead. There were really only three things that caught his attention.

First was the major difference in hair length, this guy's hair was probably five to seven times the length of Yoh's, reaching past his hips. Second would be the small star-shaped earrings, Yoh never had an interest in piercings. Lastly was something which was only visible do to the other's lack of shirt: a toned upper body with a few scars here and there which showed that he was clearly no stranger to fighting.

"You alright?" The guy asked.

"I'm fine." Ren snapped, suddenly remembering his ability to speak.

"That's good. You were staring off into space for a moment there so I was a little worried." The guy said as he helped Ren to his feet.

"Well, see ya." The guy said before continuing to run down the street.

Ren had to blink a few times before he realized that the guy had left.

"Who was that guy?" Ren asked to no one in particular.

"His name is Hao." A voice came from behind him.

Ren spun around at the sudden statement, slightly curious to see who had spoken. The male in question looked about somewhere between the age of 16 to 19. His hair was raven black, reaching just above his waist. A black tank top with a neon blue tribal wind sign on the front was covering his chest and a pair of torn green cargo pants hung just a bit low on his hips. On his feet were a pair of straw zori sandals. A strange charm necklace was hanging around his neck while a pair of blue lens sport sunglasses covered his eyes.

"My name is Aura, and if you want my advice, I'd recommend getting close to him only if you don't fear death." Aura chuckled.

"What's he like?" Ren inquired.

"Depends on his mood. For the most part he's pretty calm, but if he gets pissed he's scary as hell. However, he and I both have our ways of knowing things. Since I rarely visit the city, most go to him when they want to know something. If you ever want someone strong to test your strength against and aren't afraid of going to the hospital afterward, he'd be a good opponent." Aura replied.

"I was actually just thinking of looking for someone to fight. Know where I can find him?" Ren asked curiously.

"Not today. Remember what I said about him being scary as hell when he's pissed? Well, right now he's pissed. Recently there's been someone who can confuse and tick him off pretty easily, despite not intending it. Because of this person, his moods are a bit off... Honestly, I feel sorry for the unfortunate soul who's the target of his anger. It'd be a miracle they survived crossing paths with him right now." Aura replied.

"Ok then, where can I normally find him?" Ren asked.

"When he's not at home, and I'm not telling you where that that is, he's usually at the library or the park. Stick around those two places for long enough and you'll run into him eventually." Aura said with a smile.

"And where will I find you?" Ren asked.

"You won't. I might show up near you again if I feel like it, but it's not to likely to happen and that's also the only way to 'find me'." Aura said as he began walking off.

"Oh! And one more piece of advice before I go. If you don't want that green haired friend of yours to get killed, don't let him go with his father to apprehend Mappa. Despite the _peaceful approach_ the guy seemed to take, he always was a bit of a pyromaniac."

XxX

The crowd passed by Ren's eyes in a blur as he raced towards the convicted journalist's house. Fear fueled his lungs, adrenalin pushing away the fatigue as his feet clashed against the pavement. It might've been stupid to trust the words of a complete stranger, but he didn't care. One of his friends had been kidnapped, he didn't want another to be killed.

His yellow eyes narrowed into slits as he fought to locate his friend among the police. In the midst of a crowd, he saw his friend arguing with his father. There was still time to stop him. That was all the information Ren needed to start shoving officers out of the way. Most were too stunned that the Tao heir was currently attacking them to react, making it much easier to get to the staircase.

Ethanol invaded his nose as he came nearer to the door. His eyes widened as a barely audible click rang in his ears. He turned towards Liam and Lyserg and lunged. He pressed each hand against the base of their chests, shoving them off the high front porch along with him.

A bright light came from behind, followed by a blazing fire. Ren could feel the skin on his back burning as the violent flames licked his flesh. His fall was broken by Liam and Lyserg, who were still to stunned from the fall to move. He knew by the smell of burnt skin that the burn was a bad one, but the pain prevented him from trying to look.

Finally snapping out of his daze, Lyserg looked down in horror at his half conscious friend.

"Ren! Oh, no... Are you alright? Say something!" Lyserg exclaimed.

"I'm not dead, you idiot! It's just a burn, it'll heal eventually." Ren snapped as he tried getting to his feet.

"Ren, hold still for a moment." Liam said quickly.

Ren growled slightly, but stopped moving as Liam and Lyserg crawled out from below him.

Liam's eyes narrowed as he examined the burn on Ren's back. It was _mostly_ a second degree burn, but unfortunately near the center the skin had become charred, showing signs of third degree burning. His fear was confirmed when he touched the injury and received no reaction from the purple haired teen, signaling that the nerve endings had been severed.

"Ren, you have signs of third degree burning at the base of your back. If you don't want to make the injury worse, I recommend that you don't move until Faust or the paramedics arrive." Liam instructed.

"Is Ren going to be alright? He just saved our lives." Lyserg said quickly.

"He should be fine once Faust see's him, though it will take a while for him to recover." Liam replied.

"That's a relief. What the hell happened anyway? Are the others alright?" Lyserg asked worriedly.

"...Judging by the force of the flames but lack of physical damage, it was most likely a trap set for the moment we entered. I underestimated Mappa." Liam said grimly.

"Are the others alright?" Lyserg repeated, his tone becoming more concerned by the lack of response.

Liam sighed. "Lyserg, everyone entered before us. The flames were enough to to burn Ren to this degree at a distance... It's not likely that the others survived. "

Lyserg's eyes widened. "What? But-"

"I know, Lyserg... It's my fault. I should have said no." Liam said sadly.

"What are you two talking about?" Ren snapped.

"Keiko was one of fist to enter the building."

XxX

Ren: Keiko's death wasn't as gruesome as the last.

Me: Yea... I like Keiko and I didn't want her death to be cruel, so I had her die instantly in the fire.

Ren: You're not the only one who liked her. *points at angry Keiko fans*

Me: Eek! Pleasedon'tkillme! *hides behind Ren*

Ren: Please review.


	19. Red Winter

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

**WARNINGS**: Torture, Murder, Gore, Yaoi, Incest, Character Death... and possibly more later.

XxX

After a long trail of thought about how he intended to kill his next victim, Hao decided to go with something a little more graceful than than his last murder. It was a bright and sunny day out side, somewhat rare for being in the middle of October. The pleasantly warm breeze would make the perfect thing to ease anyone's mood, especially after the blood bath he had planned for his visiting relatives.

His previous irritation had completely melted away into a new-found excitement when he learned that one of the branch families would be gathering at an ice skating rink to try and calm themselves after Yohken's death. Including the main branch, there were five total branches in the Asakura family. Surprisingly enough, the main branch was the smallest, consisting of only four people -five if he counted Yoh-, while the branch families had at least twenty people per family.

Sure, killing twenty people at a crowded ice skating rink probably wasn't going to be easy... but he wasn't called an assassin for nothing. Then again... since when did it matter to him if a few civilians were killed in the process?

XxX

The chilling breeze made Hao shiver slightly as he walked into the ice skating rink. There weren't as many civilians as he thought there would be, only about ten regular people and most were couples at that. Much to his irritation, there was one kid in the ring as well. He didn't mind, or rather, he enjoyed killing pretty much anyone else... but he _hated_ killing kids.

The little girl looked to be no more than four years old and strangely enough, he didn't see anyone around who looked like her parent. He'd already killed the cameras, shutdown the exits, and assassinated all personnel, but he still had a bit of time before anyone noticed that they were trapped. He quickly put on his ice skates and skated over to the girl.

She seemed to be having a hell of a time staying up on the ice, much less stating. She wore nothing but a dirty orange poncho and a pair of torn pink shorts. There were several cuts and bruises over her body -some infected- and she looked quite malnourished. It was more than likely that she was either abandoned, or had an abusive caretaker. When he noticed that she was about to fall_ again_, he reached out and caught her, being careful not to touch her wounds.

"Are you alright?" Hao asked as he helped her get back to her feet.

"Opacho's head hurts. Opacho thinks that the ice is hard." Opacho mumbled.

"Where are your parents?" Hao asked.

Opacho flinched as she looked over towards a tall man sitting in the corner of the stands.

Hao frowned slightly. "Does he hurt you?"

Noticing the fear in her eyes, he quickly added : "I won't do anything that will get you hurt. I'm just asking."

Once she was sure that the man wasn't looking, Opacho nodded.

"If you want, I know someone who would take good care of you. Would you like that?" Hao asked softly.

Opacho nodded.

"Ok then, listen closely. There is a small window leading outside near the bathrooms. You should be able to fit through it, but that man won't. Once you're out, find someone and say that you're lost and you need to find your older brother. The one you are looking for is called Chocolove, but most call him Joco. Once you find him, tell him about you and he'll look after you without question." Hao said quietly.

"Opacho understands." Opacho replied.

"Good. There's just one last thing you need to know before you go. The man who hurt you, I'm going to punish him for it, but I can only do that if you promise to pretend that we never met. Alright? Can you keep this our little secret?" Hao asked carefully.

"Opacho promises. Our secret." Opacho said happily.

Hao smiled before continuing to skate around the rink. After Opacho went into the common room, he gave her about twenty minutes to leave the building before getting started on his plan. He waited until the other civilians were out of sight before killing them off. The civilians' death were mostly painless, just a quick broken neck or knife to the heart.

Since he didn't have the time to play with them, he found no reason to prolong their suffering. However, now that the abusive man and the Asakuras were all that remained, things were going to start getting bloody. There were 19 Asakuras in total, most likely the rest of Yohken's branch of the family, and they were all probably _dying_ to find out who killed the head of their branch family.

"Good afternoon, Asakuras." Hao called from the middle of the rink.

"Who are you?" Came a bored response.

Hao smirked. "The one who murdered your dear head of house."

The blunt response had a similar response to what one might get after throwing a sledgehammer at a house of glass. One moment of silence, the next filled with uproar. Quite a few people slipped on the ice after hearing it. Some of the Asakuras looked at him disbelievingly while other had a gaze of out right fury. It was amusing to watch as they bickered amongst each other, wondering if he was telling the truth or not.

"Our leader wouldn't loose to someone like you." Someone finally said.

"It doesn't matter if you believe it or not, what I'm saying is true. You'll be able to ask him yourself in a moment... in hell, that is." Hao said simply.

Hao swerved to the side when a red haired man suddenly charged at him, aiming to throw him off balance most likely. The red haired guy ended up crashing into the wall, almost knocking himself out with the impact. It took more than brute strength to fight while ice skating and it seemed as though the Asakuras didn't have the skill. Luckily, Hao did.

Once the man's back hit the floor, Hao jumped over him, creating a small blur of color before landing on the man's neck. The metal blades had a similar effect to a guillotine, cutting through the muscle and bone as if they were made of paper. Liquid crimson spilled onto the rink, mixing with the white ice to form a cold puddle of blood. For a brief moment, everyone was too stunned to move. They just stood there, staring at him and the corpse in shock.

"18." Hao muttered.

"W-what?" Someone said warily.

"There's 18 of you left to kill." Hao said with a smile.

With that sentence, all hell broke loose. Finally realizing the danger of the situation they were in, the Asakuras decided to take him seriously. Of course, that only made it more amusing for Hao.

He ducked to avoid an attack from two others, who attacked him at once. Using the sharp blades of the ice skates as his only weapon, he retaliated with a kick, slitting one their throats but narrowly missing the other. The ragged gasps and sputters from the dying Asakura filled the rest of his family with pain and anger, but went ignored by the young killer.

While they were still preoccupied with their comrade's death, Hao took the opportunity to attack. He got between all of them and used a spin kick to to push them back. With the skates on, he could still feel when the metal blade was tearing through someone's skin, cutting past their flesh and damaging the bone. About five were killed with that stunt, leaving the remaining 11 stunned, if not injured from it.

Blood fell like rain as he massacred his remaining family members, making sure to tear off their heads afterward, just like the first. Only when the last head had been severed did he recall that there was still someone else to kill. His clothes were soaked with the Asakura's blood, his skin was no doubt painted with it as well. Right now he probably looked horrifying... and that was just perfect for what he intended.

After he had finished creating the massage for when the detective arrived, he got out of the rink and took off his skates, tossing them in his bag before walking to the bleachers. He could easily hear the man's frantic breathing from behind the seats, almost like the guy was trying to draw attention to himself.

"You have three seconds to get out here before I come in there and break your neck." Hao said coolly.

One might think that Hao would've been smiling, that same cruel smile he gave to his family when he was killing them off, but they would be wrong. With the Asakuras, he was filling a need for revenge he'd had since the moment he'd learned of their attempt to end his life as an infant. Killing them brought him a sense of excitement that he couldn't describe, but this was different. He was going to kill this man for hurting that girl. This man didn't even deserve the time it would take to end his miserable life.

"Please don't kill me." The man begged as he crawled out of his hiding hole.

Hao scrunched his nose in disgust before walking towards the stairwell. "Follow me."

The slow footsteps behind him informed him that the man had obeyed, so he continued walking. Once they had reached the roof, he dragged the man over to the edge. The whining and yelling was really starting to get on Hao's nerves as he shoved the guy against the edge. He paused to let the man wallow in fear for a few more moments before letting him fall. The splatter of red on the pavement following his death brought a smile to Hao's lips.

'_Just like an insect... How befitting._'

XxX

Me: ｡･ﾟﾟ･(;△;)･ﾟﾟ･｡

Ren: ?

Me: Just learned that a favorite manga of mine got cancelled T.T

Ren: So you're whining about some random manga instead of this 'cake' chapter?

Me: O.o

Ren: What?

Me: *giggles* You finally said it.

Ren: Did not.

Me: Cake~

Ren: Stop saying that!

Me: *Sings songs about cakes*

Ren: *facepalms* Why me?

Me: Please review.


	20. Love or Hate?

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

A sigh of irritation escaped Ren's lips as he glared at the two idiots, and one concerned detective apprentice, before him. He still failed to see the reason why staying in a hospital room was necessary. The doctor had said that it would take two months for him to completely heal, but there was no way he was staying in this place for that long. The doctor would be lucky if he stayed there for a week.

Being in a hospital was annoying enough as it was, but being stuck in a hospital with his friends constantly hovering over him was just too much. He couldn't even move to attack Joco when he made yet another awful joke. Luckily, Horohoro still could, but it made a lot more noise. At least Lyserg had been quiet so far. Couldn't those two learn to to the same?

"Ren?"

Well, so much for him being quiet.

"What?" Ren asked, noting that the other two had finally shut up.

"I'm sorry." Lyserg said quietly.

That was the 28th apology Lyserg had said so far. Telling him not to worry about it or that it wasn't his fault wasn't going to get them anywhere, he'd already tried that the past 17 times, after he got over his ego enough to say it anyway. Instead, he decided to change the subject.

"Does Liam know what happened to Mappa yet?" Ren asked.

"In the midnight journal was a suicide note admitting to _knowing_ Yohken's killer and who kidnapped Yoh, but not doing it personally. That's all that's been found out, unfortunately. They haven't found his body yet either. Some think that it was destroyed in the fire while others think he never died." Lyserg sighed.

"I can't believe that guy! If he's not dead, I'm gonna make him wish he was." Horohoro growled.

The room became fairly silent after that. None of them knew what else to say and no one wanted to bring up the subject of Yoh's kidnapping again. Even after the conversation with their missing friend, they still hadn't come any closer to finding him. The thought that he was scared only made it worse. Sure, anyone would be scared after being kidnapped... but Yoh wasn't the type who usually got scared in dismal circumstances, which made it even more concerning.

The creak of a door broke the silence and turned their attention to a small African girl wearing a torn orange poncho. She stood in the doorway for a moment, glancing around the room before her eyes landed on Joco. A smile formed on her face as she ran over to him. She clung onto his leg, being too small to to give him a normal hug, and giggled.

"Hi, big brother!" She exclaimed.

Horohoro, Ren, and Lyserg stared at Joco with mouth's agape.

"I thought you said you were an only child." Horohoro said.

Joco looked down at the girl with an expression of complete confusion before looking back at his friends.

"I am." Joco replied.

"Then who is she?"

XxX

Black shadows licked the walls surrounding Hao, fusing with the usual grey color to paint an abstract silhouette of anything which came down the hall. The clatter of the ring of keys swinging around his finger echoed throughout the lower region of the house, suddenly coming to a stop as he drew nearer to his destination. His dark brown eyes narrowed as he paused before the large metal door.

Killing off twenty of their relatives had given him the calm of mind he needed to finally make the decision of what to do with his little brother. Love or Hate? All he needed to do was play a little game to help him make that decision.

The barely audible clink of chains followed by the sound of shuffling brought a smile to his lips at he walked over to his twin. Yoh had the same expression he usually wore when he entered. One of confusion, wariness, and fear. His little brother glanced awkwardly at the cement beneath their feet in an attempt to avoid eye contact, a simple gesture which made Hao even more amused.

"Ne, Yoh, let's play a game." Hao said as he peered down at his twin.

"Huh?"

"It's a simple game really." Hao said as he pulled a silver coin out of his pocket. "Heads or tails?"

Yoh glanced warily at the coin, like he was checking the silver surface for any traces of poison or something.

"Tails." Yoh replied.

Hao smirked as he tossed the coin in the air, catching it mid fall before placing it on the back of his hand. His smirk widened when he took his other hand off the coin to reveal the head of the coin. Yoh looked slightly disappointed at the result, but not too upset about it.

"Ok, here's where the game begins." Hao said.

Yoh's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced up at his twin. "What?"

"The coin landed on heads, you chose tails. However, now you have the chance to change your choice." Hao replied.

"How is this a game?" Yoh asked skeptically.

"It's kind of like my version of Russian roulette, but with only one chance. If you pick the wrong answer, you die. Now, I'll ask again, would you like to change your answer?" Hao explained.

The room became eerily silent as Hao waited for Yoh's reply. Yoh had closed his eyes in deep thought as he contemplated his response. If what Hao said was true, then he had one chance to to make the decision that wouldn't get him killed. However, strangely enough, he wasn't scared. He opened his eyes and stared into the dark irises of his brother, holding nothing but calm beneath his own gaze.

"Tails. My decision stays the same." Yoh replied.

Hao arched a brow. "Are you sure that's a wise decision?"

"Doesn't matter. I don't know what you have planned for me... but I know you won't kill me." Yoh said quietly.

"How can you be sure?" Hao inquired.

"You did try to kill me when we first met, but then you saved me for some reason. You kidnapped me when killing me would have been easier. Not only that, but you haven't tortured me since you took me either. You've clearly gone though some trouble to keep me alive. Why would you kill me now?" Yoh replied.

Hao was quiet for a long moment as he considered Yoh's response.

"You really are amusing, you know that? I guess I don't hate you after all." Hao said with a calm smile.

"What do you mean?" Yoh asked.

"Well, for the past few weeks I've been plagued with this _problem_. You, my little brother, are the Asakura heir. I hate the Asakuras, but for some reason you're different. Unlike those bastards, you actually care about others. What I heard from others only confirmed that. There lies the problem. I couldn't discern what I felt for you. Love or hate? This game helped me decide that." Hao explained.

"And what did you decide?" Yoh asked.

"I don't hate you... but don't love you either." Hao said thoughtfully.

"Then what do you feel for me?" Yoh asked curiously.

Hao's eyes lit up at the inquiry, the familiar spark of amusement flickering within his gaze. A playful smile curved his lips as he crawled over Yoh, straddling the younger twin's waist with ease. He chuckled lightly when his younger twin shifted uncomfortably beneath him. He placed one one of his hands at the base of Yoh's chest for balance and used the other to reach out and caress Yoh's hair, occasionally taking a few dark strands between his fingers and twirling them with interest.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Hao drawled.

Alarm bells were ringing in in Yoh's mind, telling him that something was very wrong about this. His mind told him to get away from his brother, but the chains connecting his wrists to the wall forced him to stay put. The intimidating posture of his twin was making him very nervous. Hao had been somewhat unpredictable before, but not like this. Before, it was like his twin was playing with him, doing things specifically to make him uncomfortable... but this time he seemed serious.

"...Yes." Yoh said quietly.

Hao's playful smile switched to a smirk as his grip on the other teen's hair tightened. Yoh let out a small yelp as Hao yanked his hair back, forcing him to look up at the dull ceiling above. The feeling of his brother's warm breath against his neck caused a small blush to spread across his cheeks. Immediately after, his face turned a ghostly white, eyes widening as a single word was breathed into his ear. Why would Hao feel _that_ towards him?

"_Lust._"

XxX

Me: Fufufu

Lyserg: What's with the evil laugh?

Me: Nothing~

Lyserg: Suddenly, now I'm worried.

Me: There's no need for_ you_ to be worried.

Lyserg: Who then?

Me: Fufufu

Lyserg: Please review.


	21. Channel 932

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Hao released his hold on Yoh's hair and pulled back so that he and his twin were staring face to face. He could imagine that his own eyes were were partially glazed with lust and amusement from his brother's view. Meanwhile, Yoh's expression displayed shock, alarm, confusion, and the smallest hint of fear. His little brother certainly got scared easily, didn't he?

"B-but we're brothers,_ twins_ even! Why would you feel _that_ for me?" Yoh exclaimed, his tone nearing the point of hysterics.

"Who knows? There are several reasons why, but I don't really feel like going into it that much." Hao said nonchalantly.

Yoh flinched as Hao brushed a finger against his cheek.

"Unfortunately, it seems as though that conversation will have to end here for today. It's getting late and I have things to do tomorrow. I'll be back later, Otouto." Hao said with a smirk.

XxX

Ren, Horohoro, Lyserg, and Joco glanced at one another nervously as Opacho finished her story. The kid had quite the tragic life, especially for such a young age. The things she'd seen would probably scar her for life, especially once she was old enough to understand what that bastard had done. At least this skater person had told her how to get some help.

"So, that's what happened." Lyserg mumbled quietly.

"Yup. Will Joco take care of Opacho? Skater-sama said Joco would help Opacho." Opacho said worriedly.

"Of course I'll take care of you. I wouldn't just say no to a kid who needs my help." Joco replied.

"Dude, do you even know how to take care of a kid?" Horohoro asked.

"That's not the biggest issue here. First we have to find her abusive parent and put him in prison for what he's done." Lyserg said.

"Are Joco's friends going to punish him?" Opacho asked curiously.

"Yes. That's what prison is for. To punish bad people." Lyserg replied.

"But Skater-sama told Opacho that Skater-sama was going to punish him for hurting Opacho." Opacho said matter-of-factly.

Lyserg's eyes widened at the statement. The shared shock he saw in the expressions of his friends told him that they suspected the same as him.

"...Joco. Go take Opacho to get treated by a doctor. I think one of her wounds are infected." Lyserg said suddenly.

"Alright. Come on, Opacho, let's go." Joco said with a smile.

Opacho giggled as she followed Joco out of the room, happy that she'd found someone to take care of her. Horohoro, Lyserg, and Ren waited until both of them were out of hearing range before speaking again.

"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Horohoro whispered.

"That this skater person either intends to beat the crap out of, if not murder, Opacho's abusive and psychotic foster parent? Yea, I'm thinking the same thing... and I agree with him." Ren replied.

"We need to find this guy before the skater does. I have no doubt that the parent will be tortured and executed once he's been been put on trial, but if this skater guy kills him first then he'll be sentenced for the bastard's murder." Lyserg said.

"Then we better hurry, right? Opacho said that she came from the Blue Winter ice skating rink downtown. The skater and the foster parent might still be there." Horohoro said worriedly.

"I'll call father. With Ren still injured, I don't think it would be a good idea for us to go." Lyserg said as he pulled out a green cellphone.

Ren grumbled slightly as Lyserg dialed in the numbers. He hated being stuck in the hospital when he could be out there doing something.

His eyes narrowed as the room door opened and Joco reentered the room with Opacho, scratching the back of his neck nervously as he explained that it would take a few moments before the doctor could see her. Didn't the idiot understand that half of the reason why Lyserg told her to see a doctor was so that she wouldn't hear the conversation?

Unfortunately, Opacho seemed to understand what was going on somewhat, being quite intuitive for her age, and refused to leave again. Unless they wanted her to start screaming -which she threatened and intended to do- it was better to just let her hear the conversation.

-Lyserg? Is something wrong? I'm a little busy at the moment.- Liam said.

"Actually I was wondering if you could do something for me. It's kind of urgent." Lyserg replied.

-What is it?- Liam asked.

"Well, I'm here in Ren's room at the hospital. A little girl came in a few moments ago and basically asked Joco to adopt her. She's been abused by her foster parent for her whole life by the sound of it. Some guy at the Blue Winter ice rink told her that he was going to punish her foster parent before telling her to go to Joco-"

-The Blue Winter ice rink!? Are you sure?- Liam exclaimed.

"Y-Yes. Why?" Lyserg asked worriedly.

-When did she leave? What time?- Liam demanded.

"Uh, I don't- Opacho, When did you leave the ice rink?" Lyserg asked quickly.

"Opacho left at two thirty." Opacho replied.

-Two thirty? Lyserg, that girl is now a witness to an ongoing investigation. Keep a close eye on her and don't let any shady characters near her.- Liam ordered.

"Ok, but what happened? What's going on?" Lyserg asked.

-Turn on the TV and switch it to channel 932 urgent news. I have to go, I'll see you soon.-

Lyserg stared at his phone for a long moment, mouth agape, as he thought about his father's frantic tone. Could it be that they were already too late to stop the skater guy? Had the foster parent been killed? It certainly sounded like his father was in the middle of a case when he called. Could Liam already be at the ice rink inspecting the crime scene?

"Lyserg, What did he say?" Horohoro asked, pulling Lyserg out of his pessimistic thoughts.

"To turn on the news." Lyserg mumbled as he reached for the TV remote and turned it to channel 932.

All of there faces paled as the screen flashed and the large bold headline appeared on the screen.

**Blue winter ice rink turns red. Over twenty people killed in an icy slaughter.**

XxX

Me: Please review


	22. Not My Intention

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Lyserg paced nervously within the room. He hadn't slept at all for the past few days, ever since he'd seen that short news report. His father said that he'd be over in about an hour to talk to Opacho and discuss what had happened with them. Horohoro and Joco were just as nervous, which made Ren the calmest one among them. The Tao had snapped at them multiple times, telling them that they were going to make a hole in the floor with all that pacing.

In a way, Ren did have a point. Pacing wouldn't help anything, but what else where they supposed to do? They couldn't leave the room and just sitting and waiting around was driving them insane. Opacho had often tried to cheer them up, but her attempts failed to ease their nerves. If anything, what she said only ended up making them more nervous.

Sighs of relief echoed throughout the room when the door finally opened to reveal Liam and two other officers. The detective first talked to Opacho about the skater, who's appearance she claimed to have forgotten. She told him everything thing else since the time she entered to the time she left, excluding a few other more trivial things which she forgot. After Liam had finished talking to the girl, the two officers and Joco took her out of the room to go get an ice cream.

"So." Lyserg began nervously. "What happened?"

Liam sighed. "Opacho's foster parent was found dead outside the rink. Cause of death was the impact from falling off the roof of the building. Written in the man's blood above his head was the word "Nevermore" which we believe to be a statement about Opacho and how the man will never hurt her again." Liam replied.

"Personally, I think the guy had it coming." Ren commented.

"Maybe, but that man's murder isn't the main problem. Yohken's branch of the Asakura family was at the ice rink that day to try and calm themselves after Yohken's death. A total of 19 of the Asakura clan's best fighters, all killed within minutes of each other, murdered in a specific way. I believe that they were the killer's main target." Liam said grimly.

"Why?" Lyserg asked.

"...A large five point star was drawn on the ice with the victim's blood. Each of their heads had been severed and their tongues were ripped out. Their heads were placed in a circle around the walls of the rink. Their bodies were placed in the center of the star with their stomachs gouged out and a word carved into their chests. Written in their entrails were the letters : _**Remember me?**_" Liam explained.

"What does that mean?" Lyserg asked with horrified eyes.

"I believe that the Asakura's murder was a very personal matter for the killer. The man might have some sort of grudge, some kind of resentment for being forgotten by the clan or something. When we put the words that were carved into their corpses together, going from who died first to who died last, it spelled something." Liam replied.

"What did it say?" Horohoro asked quietly.

_Forsaken by the ones who should have cared, I was killed for my existence... The life I could have shared-_

"...Unfortunately, that's all so far. It seems like the more this person kills, the more their message will be revealed. We need to catch the killer before the message is finished." Liam said seriously.

"What can we do?" Lyserg asked.

"Look through the evidence and search for anything the killer may have left behind."

XxX

Ren glared at the window to his right, wishing he could be outside. Being stuck alone in the hospital was boring as hell. Even Joco's jokes were more interesting than laying in bed and watching some random reporter spew nonsense about the recent murders. She said that it was an unfortunate tragedy created by some wide spread criminal, completely excluding the fact that it had anything to do with the Asakuras.

The purple haired teen was no detective, but being around Lyserg long enough taught him how to think like one. He had put his past behind him after meeting Yoh, but the fact that he was once would always remain. Unlike Lyserg and Liam, he had been a killer in the past... which meant he could understand the basics of how they thought from their point of view.

The killer was probably irritated that the media was attempting to cover up the massacre. Hearing about what had happened at the ice rink told Ren that Asakuras were being targeted, not just Yohken, and the killer had a damn harsh grudge against them. However, the fact that the killer made it obvious told him something completely different. The guy wanted others to know about his attacks.

The three biggest questions Ren had were : What did the Asakuras do to cause this grudge? Who was the killer? And... Where was Yoh? The last question was the most important in his opinion. The rest of the Asakuras could rot in hell for all he cared and he didn't give a damn if the killer murdered the king himself, he just wanted Yoh back. He'd never admit that to the others, of course. He was _not_ the sentimental type. It completely destroyed his uncaring character, but that's how he felt with all his friends. He'd kill to protect them.

The office like ring of the hospital phone turned his attention back to reality. He didn't know, nor did he care who would want to call him, but if there was even the slightest chance that it was Yoh... He picked up the phone without a moment's hesitation.

"Hello?" Ren asked cautiously.

-Hello, Ren. How are you? I heard you're in the hospital.-

"Who is this?" Ren asked skeptically.

-The guy who's fire put you in there.-

Ren's expression darkened slightly. "Mappa?"

-Mappa doesn't exist. He's an alias.-

"Ok then. Who are you?" Ren demanded.

-If I wanted you to know that, I'd be in your hospital room right now talking to you personally.-

"Point taken. Why did you call?" Ren asked.

-To check up on you. It wasn't my intention for you, or anyone else for that matter, to get caught in that little fire stunt. It was amusing, but not my intention.-

Ren's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

-I miss judged when the police would come. I set the fire to start at a specific time, thinking that the police would have gotten there an hour later than they did. I had intended for them to arrive just in time to see my house burst into flames.-

"Well, you thought wrong. Thanks to that, eight police officers and Keiko were killed in those flames." Ren snapped.

-...Keiko is dead?-

Ren was surprised to hear the shock, confusion, and irritation in the others voice. Had he really not known?

"I thought you wanted the Asakuras dead. Why would you care about her death?" Ren inquired.

-I didn't want her to die yet. There was something I wanted to ask her.-

"And what did you want to ask?" Ren asked curiously.

-That... is none of your business. It was a pleasure talking to you.-

"Wait! Where is Yoh? What have you done to him?" Ren said quickly.

-His _life_ isn't in any danger and I haven't tortured him yet if that's what you're wondering. If that's all, then I really have to go. Goodbye, Ren.-

Ren clenched his teeth as the click of the phone buzzed in his ears. This guy really knew how to tick him off.

XxX

Me: Please review.


	23. The Arsonist

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Ren tugged halfheartedly at the bandages wrapped around his torso as he walked down the street. He appreciated that Liam had gotten him out of the hospital so early, but he wished that he hadn't been forced to wear the uncomfortable things. They made it more difficult to move and he looked like a mummy-in-training while wearing them.

At least he was alone now. It had taken a bit of effort, but he had finally managed to loose the stupid body guards his father assigned. They had been pretty damn persistent, but Lyserg helped draw their attention away just long enough for him to loose them. Now, he was walking down the main road in the lawless area of the lower class district, looking for a park or library.

So far, everyone he asked about Hao either told him that he was dangerous sadist and to stay the hell away from him or that he was fun to be around and knew what went on in the city. Rather conflicting opinions for people in the same district. Another interesting thing he'd heard about Hao was that he was a well known arsonist, but there was like a silent rule to never mention the cops in the lawless area, so no one had ever arrested him for it.

Ren smirked as his eyes looked over a small wooden park sign. It was covered in graffiti and baldly damaged, hanging on it's wooden post by a sewing thread. The letters were worn out and barely readable. It looked like it might have once said : Aristotelian Awakening Park. Now it read : Arson king Park. At least it sounded like the right place to find Hao.

Despite the horrid shape the sign was in, the rest of the park looked stunning, like a peaceful nature reserve. The animals didn't run when he came near, but rather, they actually came to him. A few doe happily nuzzled against him while the birds landed nearby, chirping for treats with pleading eyes. It was shocking to see such friendly wild creatures in a place that was thought to be so dangerous.

"Hey, you're the Tao heir, aren't you? What are you doing in this side of the city?" A familiar voice called.

Ren tilted his head to glance at the branches of the tree above him, where his ears had pinpointed the sound to be. Standing on a thin tree branch, leaning against the bark of the tree, was the very person he had been looking for, Hao.

"Looking for you, actually." Ren replied.

"Oh?" Hao said as he jumped off the thin branch, landing with an almost unnatural grace in front of the slightly startled Tao.

"And why would a noble heir be looking for me?" Hao mused.

"I'm not here as a noble." Ren said snapped.

"So, you're here for personal reasons?" Hao inquired.

"Yea." Ren replied.

"Ok, then. Why are you here for me, Ren?" Hao repeated.

"I heard that you're an arsonist who knows a lot about things that happen crime wise. I want to know if you could tell me something." Ren replied.

"I might. What do you want to know? I don't go into details much, but I might be able to help somewhat. I know about every murder, suicide, theft, rape, attack, and kidnapping that's happened in this city as well as the people who did them. But before you ask, no, I don't say a word to anyone other than Aura about who committed the crimes." Hao said simply.

"The people around here say you're an arsonist. Know anyone who could make a fire that would give me this burn?" Ren asked as he unwrapped his bandages.

"Just about anyone with a match and some fuel. However, there are only about four people other than me who'd be able to make a fire the size of the one on the news without incinerating anyone in a ten foot radius. You can find out names from pretty much anyone around here. Of course, none of us will admit to doing it, not a fire as public as that one was." Hao replied.

"You're not even trying to hide the fact that you might've done it?" Ren inquired.

"What's the use in hiding it? You could find out from almost anyone in the lower district that I'm capable of such a thing." Hao said with a smirk.

"You sure are easy to talk to. Maybe I'll come back when this burn is healed to test if you're really as dangerous a fighter as others claim you to be." Ren said, his eyes flickering with a challenge.

"I've heard a few rumors about your skills too and I look forward to it." Hao replied.

"We'll just have to see who's stronger then. Later." Ren said before heading back the way he came.

"Good luck." Hao called.

'_You're going to need it._'

XxX

'_Well, that was interesting._' Hao mused as he headed back to his house in the forest.

The Tao had managed to surprise him yet again. Ren was the only one among Yoh's friends who even considered checking the lawless district for arsonists, though his little call to the purple haired teen might've helped trigger that. However, there was one thing that piqued his interest quite a bit. Ren had yet to mention to anyone that Yoh's kidnapper had called him.

Marion, who had been working part time at the hospital while Ren was there, told him that Ren's friends came to visit shortly after the call ended. Yet the Tao never mentioned the conversation or meeting a Yoh lookalike only minutes before rushing to the journalists house. He wasn't sure why Ren would want to keep those things a secret, but he was curious.

He returned his focus back to what he was doing as he came nearer to his house. Most people could've searched the forest a hundred times over and still not found the place. It was difficult to find even for one who knew where it was. The entrance to the place was inside a tree, a big tree, but a tree none the less. The door was placed an inch above a branch near top and resembled the bark of the rest of the tree.

After pulling open the door and jumping down the hole, he was sent down a slide which led him to the underground cave where his house was. Surprisingly enough, it was fairly bright inside the cave despite the lack of sunlight. Thousands of Mycena chlorophos mushrooms decorated the ground along with the grass and tree roots, giving a similar effect to a hundred green candles, giving just enough light to see around but not so much that thing were too obvious.

Fireflies and glow worms considered the place a haven. There were few predators and no shortage of food for them. Hao's personal favorite part of it were the thousands of fungus gnat larvae hanging from the ceiling, creating an image which resembled the starry sky outside. The insects never bothered him and he considered them a pleasant sight and helpful, so he left them alone as well.

The inside of his house was rather small. Directly in front of the door was the kitchen with the living room off to the left. The bathroom was down the hall and to the right while there was a small bedroom opposite the door. It was too small for his tastes and the only time he actually stayed in the upper portion of the house was to cook, for everything else he went to the basement.

Hidden in the floor of the kitchen floor tiles was the entrance to the stairwell which led downstairs. The twisted black stairwell wasn't too long and it led directly to the center of the living-room. The living room was at least twice the size as the one upstairs and looked much more habitable. There was a glass coffee table at the center of the room in front of a comfy leather couch. A few posters with kanji were scattered about in an attempt to make the place look more lively.

The carpet was a mix of dark red, brown, and crimson. A side affect from dragging too many bodies through the place, but it looked strangely nice, like the carpet had bee dyed in rose petals. He's never bothered to paint the walls, so they remained the same white color they had been since the day the house had been given to him. The light bulb at the center of the ceiling was shaped like a star, just like almost every other light in the house.

The walls in front and on each side each lead to a different hallway. The hallway to the left led to a medium sized guest room, a large closet, a bath house, and his own room. The hallway in front of the stairwell led to a small guest room, a bathroom, a small closet, and a _special_ room. The hallway to the right led to the prison-like area of the house. There were two cells, one being the one that he was holding Yoh in, and an empty cell for anyone else. The torture room was on the opposite wall of the cells with a door that looked even less friendly, if possible.

He decided to ignore the torture room this time as he walked over to Yoh's cell. He was eager to see what Yoh's reaction would be when he learned what he had planned for him today.

XxX

Me: *laughs evilly*

Yoh: Why do I get the feeling this isn't going to end well for me?

Me: *shrugs*

Yoh: T.T

Me: Please review.


	24. You need a- What?

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Yoh flinched as the sound of a creaking metal door reached his ears. When he looked up, he saw his elder twin walking towards him with a pleasant expression. It seemed just a bit_ too_ pleasant in his opinion though. Hao stopped when he was standing directly in front of him, staring at him thoughtfully before glancing at the chains binding his wrists.

"Yoh, how fast can you run?" Hao asked, his eyes never leaving the black chains.

"Fast." Yoh said quietly.

A spark of amusement flickered in Hao's eyes as he looked down at his twin. "Care to test that out?"

Yoh's eyes widened as Hao reached out to the chains binding his wrists, using his other hand to unlock the cuffs. The instant Yoh felt his wrists released, he rolled over and made a dash for the door. The cut of his arm pulsed when he made the mistake of using that arm to push the metal door open. His vision blurred, causing him to bump into one of the walls as he raced down the hall, looking for anything that looked like an exit.

The moment he reached the living room, a hand grasped his shoulder, shoving him onto the red carpet before he had the chance to react. The weight pressed onto his lower back, followed by his arms being pinned behind him confirmed his fear that his brother had caught up with him. The crimson fibers scratched his cheek as he turned to look at his elder twin, who was sitting contently on his back.

"You were right, you are fast... Just not fast enough." Hao said with a smirk.

"Why did you let me out?" Yoh mumbled.

"You need a bath." Hao said.

Yoh gave Hao a perplexed look at the statement. "What?"

"You look like you've been in a coffin for a month. If you don't get clean, your wound might get infected too. Therefor, I'm giving you a bath." Hao replied.

Yoh's confusion didn't fade even after the response. He could feel Hao move off of him, but his brother was still holding his arms behind his back, so he still couldn't move. Hao pulled him back to his feet and began steering him over to the hallway to the left. Yoh shivered slightly as the passed by the first and second door, it was the first time since he'd been there that he noticed how cold the place was.

Hao pushed the third door open and threw quickly him inside. While Yoh was still recovering from the fall, Hao walked in and locked the door behind them, preventing any further means of escape. The confused and scared look on his brother's face brought a smile to his lips. He spun the key around his finger, smile widening as he watched Yoh get back to his feet.

Yoh's eyes glanced at the door momentarily before following the key. If he could get his timing right, he might be able to get it. Hao had proven earlier that he was faster than him, but he could get lucky. He took a few steps closer, waiting a moment for Hao to lower his guard before lunging for the the key. Hao chuckled as he stepped to the side to avoid Yoh's attack.

"Want it?" Hao asked, smirking before placing the key in his mouth. "Then come take it."

The color drained from Yoh's face as he thought about what he'd have to do to get the key. There was no way in hell he was putting his fingers in Hao's mouth, the implication was just too... It wasn't happening. "It's not worth it."

"Aren't you even going to try?" Hao asked innocently.

"Not. Worth. It." Yoh repeated.

"Fine. Then it's time for your bath." Hao said, pointing to the choice of pool, shower, or bathtub behind Yoh.

Yoh hesitated as he turned to look at the three options behind him. The pool looked like what one might find in an onsen. He had to admit that the it certainly looked appealing. The stone floor of the room added to that fact, making it look more traditional. The steamy water has a few herbal leafs floating on the top which gave off a relaxing sent.

The shower area, where he'd have to go to wash off before entering the onsen didn't look bad either. It was somewhat closed off, compared to the rest of the bathhouse. Blue stained glass walls separated into a large heptagon near the wall to his left. The sliding door was slightly open to reveal smooth white tiles on the floor and a silver shower head above.

Near the wall to his right was the bathtub. It was a little plain, compared to the others, but that gave it a bit more of a home-like feeling to it. It was a dull black on the outside and clear white within. The faucet was placed at the end of the circular tub, reminding him slightly of the bathtub back home. Although, despite to more homelike feet the tub had, it still blended well with the rest of the room.

It was like, instead of a bathroom, someone had actually built a bath house within the house. The biggest problem Yoh had was Hao. There was no way he was getting undressed while his brother was in the room. One might think that it wouldn't have been a big deal. They were both males and twins no less. All Hao had to do was cut his hair and they'd be fully identical, but he hadn't forgotten what Hao said the last time he saw him.

"I don't want a bath." Yoh said, wincing when he noticed a mirror in the corner. Hao had been right, he looked awful.

"Don't care. You're getting one whether you want to or not." Hao said as he walked over to his twin.

With every step forward Hao took, Yoh took one step back, avoiding the pool and the bathtub as he moved. For a few moments they continued like this with Hao drawing nearer and him trying to find some way to escape. He practically jumped when he felt the cool wall touch his back. His heartbeat rang loud in his ears as Hao placed a hand on each side of his head, trapping him within.

"Nowhere left to run, Otouto." Hao whispered.

Yoh whimpered as Hao moved one of his hands to peel off his shirt, running a few fingers along the soft skin beneath as he slipped off the tattered cloth. The piece of clothing was carelessly tossed to the side while Hao did a leisurely scan of his upper body. It was embarrassing. Yoh wanted to grab his shirt and run out of the room, but he wasn't exactly in a position where that was possible.

Hao had proven before that he was both faster and stronger than him and that pissing him off would not be a good idea. So, he bit back his protest and let Hao do what he wanted. It wasn't like Hao was doing anything to hurt him. Just touching like this wasn't so bad, it wasn't sexual either. However, when he felt his brother's hands go a little too low for his liking, he grabbed Hao's wrist to stop him from continuing.

"I'll do that myself." Yoh said quickly.

"Suit yourself." Hao said as he took a few steps back, allowing Yoh to finished getting undressed on his own.

Yoh blushed slightly as he slowly took off his pants. It was uncomfortable to do it while Hao was watching, but at least it was better than having his twin do it for him. Once he was down to his boxers, he froze. He could practically feel his brother's gaze on him. He didn't want to remove that article of clothing while Hao was staring at him like that.

"Need help?" Hao offered.

"No thanks." Yoh mumbled.

With a reluctant sigh, Yoh removed his boxers so that there was nothing to hide himself from Hao's wandering eyes. He quickly made his way over to the shower. When he was halfway through the door, he heard Hao call.

"I'll be there in just a moment."

He paused to look at his twin for a moment before closing the door behind him. He really hoped that Hao had been joking.

XxX

Me: Fufufu

Yoh: Please review.


	25. Oblivious

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Yoh hummed lightly as he let the warm water massage his skin. He had missed the relaxing feeling he normally got when he stepped in a shower, the time he usually used to clear his mind. It had been a while since he last had a shower, now that he thought about it. Being stuck in a prison like cell where the light couldn't reach wasn't great at helping him be able to tell time, but he knew that he'd been there for at least a month.

The rustle of the sliding door made his heart freeze along with his thoughts. He took a shaky breath, shivering when he heard the soft splash of footsteps drawing nearer. Two warm arms wrapped around his waist, causing a small squeak to escape as he was pulled back into the chest of his twin. Yoh quickly began squirming under the hold, trying slipping out of his brother's embrace, but his efforts did little to help.

A relaxed sigh escaped Hao's lips as he held his twin close. He rested his chin against Yoh's shoulder, absentmindedly peering over to see what his little brother's reaction would be. His other half's attempts to free himself only brought an amused smile to his lips.

"Relax, Yoh. It's alright." Hao murmured.

Yoh remained tense beneath his brother's embrace, but made no move to leave. Why did it have to be so confusing? If Hao had been your average kidnapper he would've pushed him off without question. Hao even said that he didn't love him, that all he felt was lust, but he just couldn't abandon that small hope that somehow they could be family.

Ren would probably call him a naïve idiot if he knew what he was thinking, but he couldn't help it. He'd always wanted a brother and now he knew that he actually had one. Not only that, but if Hao really did end up killing off the entire family... he'd be the only family he had left.

A sudden movement from the other brought Yoh's attention back to reality. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, lips curving into a small smile as he felt Hao move his hands up to his back and begin massaging the skin. He wasn't sure why Hao had suddenly started doing that, but it felt nice. He unconsciously leaned closer to his twin and let the pleasant feeling calm his thoughts. The steam and water surrounding him followed by the soothing touches were making it difficult for him to focus.

Hao smirked as he watched Yoh begin to relax before him. His little brother barely seemed to notice when he began moving his hands a bit lower. He drew small circular patterns on Yoh's back before leaning over to suck on the fragile skin of his brother's neck. Yoh shifted uncomfortably at the strange feeling, but remained in his oblivious state.

It was cute how blissfully ignorant Yoh was to what was really going on.

He let his hands wander down Yoh's sides, exploring each detail while at the same time being careful not to let himself get too close to any sensitive areas. Various small scratches and scars decorated his twin's body, tickling his fingers as the traced the edges of the fractured skin. He gently caressed Yoh's thigh, absentmindedly gliding his fingers a little closer to his brother's groin. He paused just before reaching the sensitive area, remembering himself and pulling back to resume exploring other places.

Yoh didn't seem to notice, but he didn't want to tempt fate just yet. Instead, he began running his tongue along the soft skin covering his brother's spine. The warm water mixed with smooth texture of Yoh's skin almost made him purr as he nipped at the other's flesh. He never bit hard enough to draw blood or cause pain, just a mild pressure to make his brother squirm.

Many thought of him as a sadist. The way he loved watching others scream in agony, seeing them tremble in fear before him, and hear them cry as their blood stained his hands once made him agree with that statement. Although, now he was beginning to wonder about that. Torturing himself with his twin instead of feeding his desires wasn't exactly what his idea of a sadist would do.

Great spirit knew how much he wanted to snap Yoh out of that daze, pin him to the floor, look into those fearful eyes and make him scream in pain and pleasure as he had his way with his twin... but no, instead he bit back that burning desire and only allowed himself this much. Why? Because it would ruin his plan for later if he did and he wanted to try tormenting himself for a change. After a moment, he let out a small sigh and pulled back completely.

Yoh looked a little confused when he realized that he had gone. However, understanding filled his gaze when Hao handed him a bottle of shampoo. Hao worked on washing Yoh's back while his brother began washing that short choppy hair. A smile twitched Hao's lips as he caught the the creamy orange scent of the shampoo. One thing he remembered from the first day he met Yoh was how much he smelled of oranges and he thought that the scent suited his twin.

Once Yoh had finished rinsing his body and Hao was done washing himself as well, they left the shower and headed over to the onsen. Yoh seemed to have completely forgotten the fact that Hao had kidnapped him at the moment as he leaned next to his twin, enjoying the heat of the water. A thought popped into Hao's head as he watched Yoh play with one of the leaves. He still had yet to tell his little brother about what had happened.

"Yoh." Hao called.

"Huh?" Yoh asked, looking up to show he had his attention.

"I killed the rest of Yohken's branch earlier." Hao said casually, as though he was simply talking about the weather.

"Oh..." Yoh mumbled.

Hao was slightly surprised at the lack of reaction from his twin. Sure, Yoh looked a little sad, but nowhere near as much as he'd been for Yohken's death. Perhaps his twin had simply gotten used to the fact that his family was going to die. He wondered if Yoh would get upset when he learned about what happened to Keiko.

"Something else happened before I killed them though, something I only learned about a few days after." Hao said suddenly.

"What?" Yoh asked warily.

"A stunt of mine didn't go as planned. I made a mistake and ended up getting a few police officers killed on accident. Keiko died because of it too." Hao said simply

"What?" Yoh breathed.

"Mom died in a fire I created. Police say she was killed instantly." Hao replied.

The calm atmosphere Yoh had felt before suddenly shattered at the end of that sentence. His mind went completely blank, eyes staring off into space while Hao's words echoed in his ears. Keiko, his mom, was dead. Out of everyone in his family, Keiko and Yohken were the only ones who treated him like another human being, like how a family should treat each other.

To his father, grandparents, and other relatives, he was just a tool. His mom actually cared. His mom would've run into a burning building if it meant saving him. She did everything she could to make him happy and he'd never gotten the chance to tell her how much that meant to him. If he had to be honest, amongst all of the Asakuras, they were the only two who he really considered family.

His vision blurred as the thoughts of the two of them swarmed in his head. The water suddenly felt a lot hotter on his skin, the steam was making it near impossible to breathe. He took in shaky breaths while struggling to get the oxygen into his lungs, but it was like all the air had disappeared from the room. He felt a strong arm reach out for him just before everything faded to black.

XxX

Me: Fufu.

Hao: Couldn't you have gone a little farther than that? I was hoping for a lemon.

Me: I don't do lemons. You get limes.

Hao: *growls*

Me: *throws lime*

Hao: *turns it into an orange*

Yoh: Funga fufu! *pounces on orange*

Me: O.o

Hao: *smirks*

Yoh: Please review.


	26. Final Request

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Of all the things, Hao had not expected his twin to pass out after hearing the news. Though, there wasn't really much he could do about it. Eliza might've been able to tell him when Yoh would wake up, but he didn't particularly feel like calling her to ask. First thing he felt he should do was get Yoh out of the bath before he overheated.

With that thought, he lifted Yoh up bridal style and carried him out of the onsen. He laid his brother down on the floor near the towel rack and began drying him off. With Yoh's hair being much shorter than his own, it didn't take long. Afterward, slipped a pair of clean boxers on his twin and dressed him in a simple white yukata. When he was done dressing Yoh, he got himself dressed in a pair of worn out denim jeans, a loose black t-shirt, and a pair of circular wooden earrings with a star at the center.

It probably wasn't a good idea to leave Yoh in the bathhouse while he went to do his things, but he didn't want to put Yoh back in the cell either. The place was beginning to lose it's fear effect, seeing as how Yoh wasn't exactly scared of it anymore. Perhaps a change of scenery would help with that. He didn't want his twin getting too calm, he _had_ been kidnapped after all.

It would do Yoh good to remember that his elder brother was a killer. Thought Hao didn't intend to kill Yoh, there were still various other ways for him to spend his time with his twin. He did have a rather sadistic personality, so the thought of torture sounded appealing... as long as he didn't go overboard and kill his twin on accident. There was also the lust factor. Yoh had no idea how badly he wanted to screw his dear little brother.

Instead of going back to Yoh's previous cell, he brought him to the guest room a little down the hall in the opposite direction of his own room. The guest room looked nice enough, he'd always kept two of the guest rooms looking nice on the off chance that Aura or his sibling stopped by to visit. He'd never actually met Aura's brother, but he thought that it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep an extra room looking nice just in case.

He never thought he'd be using the room for his own brother though. Aside from the bed, which was placed horizontally along the wall to the right, there were only three other things inside the room. There was a nightstand, which sat a few spaces to the left of the bed, a chair, which was placed in the far corner of the room, and a dresser, which stood vertically along the wall opposite the bed.

He laid Yoh down on the mattress and tied his hands behind his back to make sure his brother wouldn't be able to make any escape attempts after regaining consciousness. After that, he tied another rope around each of Yoh's wrists and attached it to the bed-frame to stop him from leaving the bed. Once that was done, he turned to leave the room.

Sati had called him just before Ren's visit to say she wanted to meet him. She supposedly wanted to talk to him in three days about another job. Normally, he would've refused outright to take any further tasks until his current one was complete, but he was curious to know what she intended to have him do. The monk had piqued his interest before. Who was to say she wouldn't do it again?

XxX

Lyserg sighed as he read the report about the murders his father had given him. Yesterday, three members of the weaver branch of the Asakuras had been killed. The words 'with', 'him', and 'shattered' were carved into their corpses. The first victim had her spinal cord ripped out while the other two had their heads bashed in with the first victim's pelvis. One thing that had been consistent with each victim so far was that, be it before or after death, their tongues were always torn out for some reason. His father had told him that it might've been a statement of some sort, or it was like the killer's signature.

The only thing that didn't match up with the serial killer signature idea was that the civilians killed in the ice rink were intact. Liam said that their murders were much more skillfully done than the others. He said that if the killer wanted to, he probably could have killed off every member of Yohken's branch and made it look like an accident. That was a scary thought.

What bothered Lyserg even more than that was his friend's strange behavior recently. Ever since the fire incident, Ren had been acting differently. However, when they came back to visit their friend after Liam explained the red winter incident, things got even more awkward. Now that Ren was out of the hospital, they rarely saw the purple haired teen.

"Has anyone else noticed the change in Ren?" Lyserg asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Horohoro asked in response.

"He's been avoiding us like the plague since my dad explained what happened." Lyserg stated.

"You're over reacting. It's only been three days since he left the hospital. Ren just gets like this some times, you know?" Horohoro replied.

"I guess." Lyserg sighed.

XxX

Hao gave Sati a polite smile as he saw her in the, what was supposed to be, abandoned coffee shop. However, despite the description he had heard from others along the way, the place was filled with people. Most simply ignored him as he walked in while others gave him wary glances. It seemed as though visitors to this place weren't all that common.

Sati returned the gesture and offered him the seat across from her at the table. She wasn't wearing the same monk robe she wore when he'd seen her the past two times. Instead, she wore more casual clothes. A white, long sleeved, turtle neck dress which wen to her knees and a pair of sky blue jeans underneath, to be exact. She still wore the same golden earrings, but her hair had a braid on one side.

"I'm glad you came." Sati said as he took his seat across from her.

"I thought this place was supposed to be abandoned." Hao commented.

"That rumor is spread for a reason. We don't want other's coming in here unnecessarily." Sati said simply.

"Ok. Why did you call?" Hao asked.

"My group and I are going to attempt a mission soon and me may require your help." Sati replied.

"Define 'help'." Hao drawled.

"This 'mission', is the rescue of our skilled comrade, Lee Pyron. He is the best martial arts specialist in our group. Unfortunately, he was captured last week. He is supposed to be executed tomorrow afternoon. We intend to free him before he is taken out of his cell and leave our mark for them to see when they arrive." Sati said as she showed him a symbol of a tri-crossed staff.

Hao smirked when he saw the insignia. "Looks my intuition was right. You're the leader of the Gandhara group, aren't you?"

"You know of us?" Sati asked, clearly intrigued.

"Of course. You're group is quite famous in the lower class district. Rumors say Gandhara's goal is to dethrone the king and princess and destroy the darker side of the kingdom. To make this a truly peaceful country." Hao said.

"You don't seem fond of the idea." Sati observed.

"True peace doesn't exist. In the world you envision, everyone is equal. There would be no high or low class and conflict wouldn't even be in the dictionary. You're fighting for a fairy tail. As long as humans are on this earth, conflict will exist. I've met hundreds of people like you, those who didn't die trying ended up sinking into the very corruption they fought to destroy. Also, there wouldn't be someone like me in you're perfect world." Hao stated.

"Unlike the lies the princess says, I truly believe that anyone can change. Even you. I do not intend to kill you if we succeed in our goal of overthrowing the king nor will I try and make you leave the kingdom. If you continue to kill innocent people after the king is dethroned, however, we will stop you." Sati replied.

"Thanks for the notice. Now, what's your request?" Hao asked, not bothering to hide his boredom.

"Well, actually..."

Noticing her concerned tone, Hao returned his attention to her. Whatever she was about to say, she clearly didn't want to say it.

"The likelihood of me getting caught in this mission is very high. I do not know what kind of torture or drugs they would use to make me talk and I don't want to say anything that would endanger my comrades. So, if I am caught, I want you to kill me before they can interrogate me." Sati said quietly.

The woman was determined in her goal, he'd give her that. Not many had the guts to ask someone to kill them if things went wrong.

"Alright. I accept."

XxX

Me: Please review.


	27. No Regrets

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Golden yellow leaves danced around Hao's ankles as he stared in amusement at the crowd before him. It was half past eleven and Pyron's execution was only half an hour away. Gandhara was bound to make their move soon, that is, if they hadn't already. Unlike most others in the crowd, who were pushing and shoving to try and get a closer seat to the front, where the princess would be speaking, he was fully content with his spot next to the walkway.

In case things did go wrong, it was better for him to be closer to the place where the prisoners would be brought up. Despite his love for watching others in pain, gore, and being brutally murdered, he wasn't a fan of public executions like this one. They were just too crowded with pathetic people who probably didn't even have one tenth the willpower and spirit as the one being executed.

His curiosity was piqued, however, when he noticed a familiar purple hared teen sneaking around the crowd. He waited until the other was close enough before reaching out and pulling him back. He stepped to the side just in time to avoid a retaliating kick from the other teen. Ren's reflexes were better than he had thought.

"Easy there. No need to make a scene." Hao said with a smirk.

"Hao? What are you doing here?" Ren hissed.

"It's the public execution of a so called revolutionist. Why wouldn't I be here?" Hao replied simply.

"Fair point." Ren said flatly.

"So, why are _you_ here? The way you were sneaking around just now tells me that we're not here for the same reason." Hao inquired.

Ren's eyes narrowed and he glared at Hao for a moment, considering whether or not he should tell the other teen. The more he thought about it, the less harm in it he found. Hao was an arsonist and setting fires like the ones he did wasn't exactly legal. If Hao told anyone, he could always just bring it down to double blackmail if he needed to.

"I'm going to try saving Pyron's sorry ass." Ren replied.

"Oh? You know him?" Hao asked, his eyes glistening with amusement.

"He's my sister's boyfriend. I want to help him for her. If I don't she'll be depressed for months and no doubt annoy the hell out of me." Ren grumbled.

Hao laughed quietly at the response. Ren wasn't as great at pretending to be uncaring as he claimed to be. It was clear that he cared for his sister. He probably didn't want her heart to be broken like that, that is, if he wasn't saving Pyron because he already considered the man to be like family.

"Don't bother." Hao said.

"What!? And why shouldn't I?" Ren snapped.

"Pyron won't die today. Something interesting is going to prevent it." Hao mused.

"Something interesting?" Ren questioned.

"Just go up to the front of the crowd and wait. In about ten minutes you'll see what I mean. Even I'm not sure what's going to happen, but it should be amusing." Hao replied with a close eyed smile.

Ren frowned before quickly pushing his way through to the front of the crowd. Hao was curious to see what Ren's reaction would be, but at the moment he was more concerned with getting ready. He left the stadium momentarily and went into the nearest abandoned alley to get changed.

He pulled his hair back and wrapped behind a purple bandana, covering any sign of those dark chestnut tresses. Then, he slipped on a black turtleneck and trench coat. As a final touch, he put on the black dragon mask he wore the day he kidnapped Yoh.

Hardly anyone noticed when he slipped back into the crowd. Apparently, they were all too interested in what was about to happen to notice a dragon mask wearing teen. He assassinated a few Asakuras he noticed amongst the people as he made his way over to the edge of the crowd. Ok, technically it wasn't an assassination yet, because they were still alive, but the moment the poison took it's effect they would die and then it would be an assassination.

Since he didn't have the time to carve the puzzle words into them, he improvised by spelling out the words in the toxin, which would melt into the skin after taking effect. It was almost shocking that they didn't notice what he was doing. Apparently, he had underestimated the effect a public execution could have on people. His eyes narrowed as he watched Marco and Jeanne walk up to the stage with Pyron in tow.

'_So, the plan failed after all._' Hao thought as he watched some guards tie the man up to a high post.

"Hello everyone." Jeanne said with one of her brightest angelic smiles.

The crowd whistled and cheered while Hao simply rolled his eyes.

"Today a dangerous man will be cleansed of his sins by death in hopes that his spirit may find peace in the afterlife. We would have been here sooner, but his accomplices attempted to stop us. Unfortunately, most were able to escape justice, but in return we have caught their leader. The leader of Gandhara!" Jeanne called.

Everyone spoke in soft whispers and gasps of surprise as Sati was led down the walkway. Her hands were bound, but she held her chin up high. She may not have accomplished her goal and it was likely she had come to terms with the fact that Pyron would be killed along with her, but she held hope that her comrades would accomplish the their dream even with her gone. She was walking to her death, but she held no fear.

Hao decided then that if there was ever a right time to complete her request, now would be it.

He cut the rope keeping everyone inside the line, causing many people to stumble onto the sidewalk. While everyone was confused and disoriented from the stunt, Hao weaved through the guards and toward Sati. Once he was close enough, he pulled out a syringe and stabbed itn into her arm. Her eyes widened at the sudden pain, but calmed once she saw the mask and recognized who he was.

"Thank you." Sati whispered.

"You have five minute, but keep watch. I'm going to give you a little parting gift before you go, consider it my thanks for giving me such a fun assignment." Hao said before slipping back into the crowd.

A moment later, the guards had managed to contain the crowd and continued leading Sati up to the stage. Marco scowled at her when he noticed that she was smiling, but let the guards lead her to Jeanne anyway. It wouldn't look good for the kingdom if he hit her now. However, Jeanne was much more calm than him, she almost looked a bit sad that Sati was standing there before her.

"Why do you fight against the peace we so desperately wish to bring to this country? You were a monk of the highest standard, how could you have fallen so deep into evil when you were once said to me so pure? It saddens me to see another angel fall. I had hoped that you would repent so that in death you might find peace on the other side." Jeanne said as a few tears ran down her cheeks.

"Jeanne, I will not repent for I have done nothing to which I feel the need to repent to you. I am simply doing in my own way what you claim to. I fight for peace, not against it." Sati said calmly.

"You're heart may be in the right place, but you have done too many evil deeds for me to simply pass this off." Jeanne said quietly.

"If I am to die, would you allow me the chance to state what I believe and the wrongs I have committed?" Sati asked.

Jeanne nodded and stepped aside so that Sati was closer to the microphone. She probably granted it because it would be the monk's last request.

Sati took a deep breath before speaking, trying not to let dizziness over come her as she felt the poison begin to take affect.

"I did not lie when I said what I fight for. The kingdom is not as peaceful as you all believe. I know that you have heard these words before from revolutionists and the like, but have you ever stopped to consider if what we are saying is true? There are villages that have been slaughtered for some trivial cause and then covered up by the nobles. No one else bothered to notice, no one else seemed to care... that's why I took a stand." Sati spoke.

"You're full of it!" Someone from the crowd called.

"You all may think me evil as much as you like, but I do not regret what I have done. You have no idea just what is being kept hidden from you. Take the Asakuras for example. They've tortured innocent people to test their poisons on. They've killed hundreds, but you never noticed." Sati replied.

"Stop wasting our time!" Someone snapped.

"It seems as though my words will not reach you. That is fine. One day you will come to know the truth. Until then, my allies will continue to fight. However, Jeanne, Marco, and any Asakuras who may hear this, know that the tormenting will not stop until all of you are gone. You're actions will not be forgiven and for that... you will never find Yoh." Sati said coolly.

Jeanne's expression turned livid at the statement, but before she had the chance to respond, an explosion turned everyone's attention to the poll that Pyron had been tied to. The wood was in being consumed by enormous flames. The spot where Pyron had been was now impossible to see because of the raging fire. However, sitting atop of the tall post was a strange black figure wearing a black dragon mask and the string of a purple bandanna moving with the wind.

"That was a nice farewell speech, Sati. I have to say I was deeply moved by it. Although, I do have one last question before you go. What do you want me to do with the Asakura heir?" Hao mused.

"Whatever you wish. You already accepted my task, as long as that's finished, it matters not what is done with him." Sati replied.

Hao chuckled at the comment, letting a spark of his insanity show within the dark laughter.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Hao said before falling back into the flames.

Only when the masked figure had vanished from sight did Jeanne realize what had been said and called for the guards to chase after him. However all the commotion was just simple white noise to Sati as she staggered back. A dull ache clutched at her chest, causing her heart to slow to an impossible pace. Her eyesight blurred as she collapsed onto the cold wooden floor beneath her.

She figured that this must've been a second half to Hao's thanks because strangely enough, she felt no pain. It was like the poison had numbed her entire body, making feel almost as though she was simply falling asleep. A smile graced her lips as she thought about what Hao had done. Despite the flames, she still saw it. Pyron had disappeared, Hao let him escape. It truly was a wonderful parting gift.

Now, she had no regrets.

XxX

Me: Please review.


	28. Suspected

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Liam frowned while he looked around at the bodies in the stadium. After the incident, the crowd had been cleared to reveal thirteen dead Asakura family members. Each of them had a poison rubbed on them which caused a strange discoloration of the tongue and an excruciatingly painful death. Sati had also been poisoned, but the drug used on her was the same kind that was used to euthanize animals to give them a painless death.

However, the puzzle words on the Asakuras still remained : '_in an instant... You see, though my life was never ended... thanks to_'

The puzzle still had yet to make much sense to him, but it was slowly becoming clearer. If he could have, he would've gone back to the house to think over the new information, but he had to question his final witness first. Ren wasn't exactly who he expected to be a witness in all of this, but then again, other nobles had always been a mystery to him.

"I've already questioned all 189 other witnesses, so I have a good enough view of what happened. What I want you to tell me, Ren, is if you noticed anything different. Anything at all that might help us catch Pyron or the masked person." Liam said.

"Sorry, Liam, but I only know as much as everyone else here." Ren said simply.

"Alright then, you're free to go. Let me know if you remember anything else though." Liam called.

Ren nodded to show that he'd heard before quickly walking out of the stadium. He was irritated, to say the least. First Hao tells him that something special is going to happen, then disappears immediately afterward? After that, Pyron's post catches fire of all things and a guy with the description of Yoh's kidnapper appears. The pyro certainly had a lot of explaining to do.

XxX

Cool grass tickled Hao's feet, causing him to chuckle slightly as he walked towards the exit of the park. The fact that he'd accidentally incinerated his shoes earlier when he jumped into the fire didn't concern him, he liked being able to feel the grass beneath his feet for a change. He wasn't going to stay long anyway. Ren would probably be coming to ask what he knew any second now and after that Hao was going home.

'_Speak of the devil and he shall appear._' Hao thought as he watched the Tao run into the park.

The Tao looked pissed. His eyes narrowed into a golden glare, electric anger sparked across his gaze. Yet, at the same time, it looked like the he was practically drowning in confusion. His appearance was disheveled, with his tongari falling apart to reveal past shoulder length, messy violet hair. His clothes were wind and dust blasted, pants torn slightly from falling onto the street most likely. Had he run the entire way here?

"Hello, Ren. Pyron's escape certainly was a surprise, wasn't it?" Hao asked casually.

"You knew it was going to happen." It was obvious by the serious tone that it wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Yea, I knew." Hao replied.

"How?" Ren snapped.

"Sati came looking for me yesterday. She said that she was going to try and free someone called Pyron today. It was likely that she was going to be caught and she wanted to make preparations in case that happened. She told me that she'd asked someone to kill her if things went wrong and if that did end up happening, she wanted me to set Pyron's post on fire. I owed her a favor and knew it would be her dying wish, so I agreed." Hao explained.

"Do you know the guy who freed Pyron?" Ren asked coolly.

"No. I had guessed that someone would free him and use my fire as a distraction to escape... but I never met the person." Hao said simply.

"How did you know Sati?" Ren questioned.

Hao shrugged. "She helped me find something I'd been searching for."

Ren stared at the ground in silence for a moment, he tried desperately to think of something else to say, but nothing came to mind.

"If that's all, then I have to go. I have someone waiting for me bask at home." Hao said, noticing Ren's hesitance.

"Talk to you later, Ren."

Ren clenched his teeth as he watched the other leave. He'd asked the other teen what he wanted to, he'd found out what he wanted to know, but he was still so frustrated. He was frustrated because in his mind, Hao seemed like the most likely suspect for the Asakura murders and Yoh's kidnapping, yet he didn't _want_ to suspect him.

Hao and Yoh looked so much alike. Every time he saw the pyro, he was reminded of his missing friend. Even their personalities had some similarities. Hao had seemed calm and carefree like Yoh when he met each other in the park. When he was like that, Ren could almost mistake him for the other. Someone who was so much like his friend... he didn't want to think that person was responsible.

He knew that if he told Liam about Hao, the detective would try to apprehend him for questioning immediately and he didn't like that. Hao was an arsonist and a murderer, from what he'd heard from others in town. If Liam found out, the pyro would be sentenced to execution immediately. If Hao was responsible, he'd force the guy to give Yoh back, but let his friend decide what the other's fate should be. Yoh was the one who had been kidnapped after all.

A sigh escaped his lips as he turned to leave the park. He was going to wait until he was 90% sure that Hao was responsible before he accused the other. Not just for the sake of his conscious, but to be careful as well. Guilty or not, Hao wasn't exactly a harmless person. It was better to be safe than sorry, but if he'd thought Yoh's life was in danger, he would've accused Hao on the spot. Screw the consequences.

However, he didn't think Yoh's life was at risk, so he was going to be cautious. The kidnapper told him on the phone that Yoh's life wasn't in danger and for some odd reason, he believed him. After all, the guy had no reason to lie.

XxX

Hao paused before the guest room door, listening for any signs of distress from his twin inside. When he heard nothing, he quietly opened the door and walked inside. Yoh was still laying on the bed exactly where he'd left him, indicating that he hadn't woken up yet. He hadn't really expected Yoh to stay asleep for this long, but in a way he was thankful. Now he would get the chance to see Yoh's reaction when he woke up.

He took off his coat and tossed it carelessly on the floor before walking over to the chair on the other side of the room and taking a seat. He didn't know how long it would take for his dear other half to regain consciousness, but he knew it wouldn't take too long. Yoh had been out for a day and a half now, his body would make him wake up soon.

Until then, Hao had some time to spare. He took out the book he'd placed on the table earlier and took a seat at the chair. The book either about torture methods or sadistic pleasures, but both would've been equally amusing to read. With the police running around the entire city searching for Pyron, there wasn't much chance of him getting to the other Asakuras that easily... which gave him plenty of time to be with his dear little brother.

XxX

Me: Finally done!

Ren: You still have more things to do though.

Me: ｡･ﾟﾟ･(≧△≦)･ﾟﾟ･｡

Ren: Well, next time don't slack off.

Me: π

Ren: Did you just use Pi as a comeback?

Me: Yes, yes I did.

Ren: In what world does that make sense?

Me: *puts on cool sunglasses* Mine.

Ren: *facepalm*

Me: Please review.


	29. Let's Play

Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

XxX

Colors blurred as Yoh tried opening his eyes to the dimly lit room. He could barely make out the ceiling above him. The soft fabric pressing against his back told him that he wasn't in the cell or the bathhouse, which meant that he had to be in some other room. When he closed his eyes and tried opening them again, he was able to see a bit more clearly.

The ceiling was a dull white with a star shaped light at the center, the walls to each side were a similar color but with a clock and a few drawings of birds and nature were placed here and there to make the room look a bit more lively. After turning his head a bit, he was finally able to see what he was laying on as well. Sky blue sheets decorated the bed he laid on, the clouds which were woven in almost made it look like the sky outside.

When he tried moving over, a harsh tug brought his attention to the ropes currently binding his wrists. That was when he started to panic. The thought of being tied to a bed and left completely vulnerable for when Hao came back was not a pleasant thought. He began to struggle, hoping to somehow slip out of the ropes in the attempt, but all he succeeded in doing was causing the ropes to dig even further into his skin.

He flinched at the pain before trying again, however, a familiar chuckle stopped him. Standing beside the edge of the bed was his elder brother with a book in hand and a smirk on his lips. His eyes widened in alarm as he realized the danger of his situation. He was wearing a thin yukata with only a pair of boxers beneath _and_ his wrist were tied. Not good. What was worse, Hao looked far too amused with the whole situation to have come _just_ to talk.

"So, you're finally awake,_ Otouto_." Hao drawled.

"How long was I out?" Yoh asked, shifting back slightly.

"Three days." Hao replied.

"That long?" Yoh breathed.

"Yup. I got bored waiting for you to wake up." Hao said as he took a seat on the edge of the bed.

Yoh closed his eyes, squirming as he felt Hao trace his bottom lip with his thumb. The mattress dipped slightly while his brother leaned over him, sending a prickly sense of dread down his spine. A sudden pressure on his lower abdomen made him gasp. His eyes snapped open, a low chuckle making him shiver as the sound resounded in his ears.

"Though I had plenty of time to decide what to do while I waited." Hao whispered.

"A-and what is that?" Yoh asked warily.

Hao smirked and lifted Yoh's chin so that he could stare into his brother's dark chestnut eyes.

"Let's play."

Yoh let out a small gasp as a gentle pressure come into contact with his lips. Hao was kissing him. He instantly tried kicking his brother off or moving back, but it did little good. Hao had a firm hold on his chin to prevent him from turning away, leaving him little option of escape.

At first, the kiss was calm and gentle, but then it started getting more passionate. All he could do was do his best not to respond to it. Hao, on the other hand, seemed perfectly content with nipping and running his tongue along his lower lip, ignoring his cries of protest. Yoh whimpered before clenching his jaw. This wasn't right. Brothers, _twins_ weren't supposed do things like this.

His trail of thought ended there, however, when Hao suddenly bit into his lip, tearing the fragile skin easily with his canines. Yoh screamed as the metallic taste of blood entered his mouth. Tears formed at the edges of his of his eyes from the pain. Hao took the opportunity while he was still in shock and pressed his tongue past his lips and into his mouth.

The thought of biting Hao's tongue passed through Yoh's mind, but in that moment, their dark eyes met and his thoughts froze. All it took was one look to know that if he did that, he might not survive the consequences. Hao's eyes were clouded over with lust, but beneath that he had the gaze of a predator. The blood-lust he sensed from his twin was enough to make him tremble.

Hao purred as he brushed past Yoh's tongue and began exploring every corner of the untouched caverns. He tried coaxing Yoh to play along, but his brother seemed to stunned to respond at the moment. Instead, he took his time savoring the lightly citrus taste of his twin. Unfortunately, he had to pull back much sooner than he would've liked due to lack of oxygen. Though gazing into the frightened eyes of his twin afterward made it worth it.

Seeing Yoh scared like that brought him a certain thrill he couldn't quite place. Although, he figured that he better get something for Yoh to eat before continuing. Remembering to feed his twin was proving a more troublesome task than he'd originally thought. He let out a small sigh before moving off his twin and sitting back on the edge if the bed.

"You're lucky all I feel is lust." Hao said absentmindedly.

"W-why?" Yoh gasped, still struggling to regain his breath.

"Because... you're life would be hell if I loved you." Hao said with a simple smile.

A shiver of dread went down Yoh's spine at the statement. His eyes, still slightly teary from before, looked up at Hao in disbelief. '_What?_'

Hao merely gave a smirk in response to his twin's confusion before getting up and heading over to the door. He had plenty of spare time to kill, so he may as well make something for himself to eat too. If Yoh was compliant, he might even take off the ropes so that he wouldn't have to spoon feed his twin. Who knew, looking after his little brother could prove more fun than he thought.

XxX

Liam gave a frustrated sigh as he glanced at the Tao heir, who was sitting a ways away from the others in the car. Lyserg told him earlier that they had become concerned at their friend's strange behavior. Normally, he would have simply tried talking to the Tao, but Ren refused to say what was bothering him and Liam had the strangest feeling that it was somehow related to the case.

Ren was an intuitive kid, even more so than Lyserg. It wasn't unlikely that the Tao had started an investigation of his own and managed to learn something that he hadn't yet. Though Liam was a great detective, he had his hands full with the Asakuras being murdered, Yoh's kidnapping, and some other ongoing cases. Ren was also a lot younger than him, giving him a different sense of perspective.

What worried Liam was that the teen hadn't said anything, especially with how thrown off he'd seemed as of late. Perhaps bringing Ren along to try and make sense of the puzzle pieces so far would make him more inclined to share the information. That was exactly where they were going at the moment, actually. The car lurched to a halt as it reached it's destination.

"Where are we?" Ren asked while glaring out the window.

"My house." Liam replied before opening the door for the others.

The teens were mostly silent as they walked into the mansion. It was nothing like the homes of the Tao or Asakura. On the outside, it looked much more pleasant, like a cottage. However, the inside was another story. It was like walking out of a British garden and into a crime lab. Pictures and newspaper clippings of various cases were plastered on the hall walls. The coffee table in the living room was pile high with numerous case files.

"I didn't know you were so devoted to your work." Horohoro mumbled.

"I take my job very seriously. Follow me. I'll lead you to the Asakura case room." Liam replied.

"You have a room just for that case?" Horohoro exclaimed.

"The house has a lot of rooms. Father moves pictures and information on any open cases he's currently working on to a different room. After he solves the case, he takes one picture and article and adds it to the wall and puts the rest back in the file to be stored away." Lyserg explained.

"Yup, and here's the Asakura case room." Liam announced as he threw open a large wooden door.

Ren's eyes widened and Horohoro's jaw dropped when the light switch was flipped and the room was illuminated in a red light. A poster board was placed at the wall across from them, littered with pictures of suspects and hastily written down theories. The walls were covered in photos of every Asakura, but the ones who'd been killed had a red x painted over their image. In the middle of the room was a table covered in note cards, each with a word from the killer's puzzle written on them and placed in the correct order.

Ren frowned slightly as he read the message so far. : Forsaken by the ones who should have cared, I was killed for my existence... The life I could have shared withhim... Shattered in an instant... You see, though my life was never ended... thanks to _you, hell still existed. You are the reason I started this game. Your mistake-_

"I thought there had only been 36 Asakuras killed so far. Why are there 50 words?" Ren questioned.

"Fourteen Asakuras were killed in a plane crash when they tried to leave after Yohken's death, their bodies were reduced to ash. Shortly after news of their death reached us, I received a letter with fourteen pictures, one of each murdered Asakura and all of which had a word carved into their corpse." Liam replied.

"Why are you showing us this?" Ren asked suspiciously.

"Lyserg and Horohoro wanted to help with the investigation, that's why I showed them, but I showed you as a trade." Liam said seriously.

"A trade?" Ren inquired.

"Yes. The way you've been acting lately insinuates that you've found out something that you're not intent on sharing. I've showed you all of my current information. So, how about returning the favor?" Liam replied.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

XxX

Me: Please review.


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